Scarlet
by RoastedPorkchop
Summary: When told that she was going to die, she accepted it and wanted to stay dead. Fate had other plans for her. "Hi, senpai. Have you noticed me yet?" "…Get back to practice, Akashi." Fem! SI-Oc!Akashi x Nijimura. Semi-AU.
1. Prologue

**Me: Hey, y'all! I just wanted to try a Kuroko no Basuke SI-Oc fic, so here it is!**

 **Summary:** When told that she was going to die, she accepted it and wanted to stay dead. Fate had other plans for her. "Hi, senpai. Have you noticed me yet?" "…Get back to practice, Akashi." SI-Oc

 **Pairing/s:** Fem! SI-Oc! Akashi x Nijimura

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the beauty known as Kuroko no Basuke. I do, however, own this fanfic, this idea, and my OC/s.

 **Scarlet**

 **Prologue**

 _Elise Morgan was lying on a hospital bed, barely breathing and body aching as the doctors regrettably informed her mother that the former was dying. She heard her mother wail and accuse the doctors that they were lying. Pitifully, they shook their heads, and offered silence to comfort the abandoned woman._

 _It was a car crash. The green light had shone and their car moved forward, following the car in front of them. Suddenly, a loud honk was heard. She remembered looking past the tinted window to the right side of the car and seeing a large ten-wheeler truck headed towards them at a fast rate. She remembered her mother panicking and her father trying to move past the slow moving car in front of them._

 _And moments after, the collision happened._

 _She remembered people shouting and panicking. She recalled someone dialing an ambulance. But most of all, she remembered the pain and it_ _ **hurt**_ _._

" _Why are you leaving me, too?"_

 _She had barely heard her mother utter those words, as the woman held her hand tightly – not wanting the girl to slip away while she watched._

' _ **Too**_ _', Elise thought sadly. That meant that her father had not survived._

" _I wish it was me, instead. You don't deserve this, Lis."_

' _You don't deserve it either,' Elise wanted to say, that is, if her tired mouth actually moved._

 _Silence followed, and she was getting a little tired._

 _It was only when she felt her mother's grip on her hand relax, that she knew her mother was not able to fight the tiredness of her body – which had gotten minor injuries from the crash._

 _Now that her mother had her eyes closed…_

 _Now that her mother could not see her…_

 _She succumbed to the darkness that followed, the darkness that would mark the end of her existence in this world._

 _She was finally going to rest in peace…_

 **Scarlet**

…not.

When she died, she had expected to feel at peace – to feel nothing, actually. An eternal rest. A freedom from the pain she had suffered from in her final days. A luxury granted to her after everything she had underwent in life.

 _She did not expect this._

She remembered talks about reincarnation – how souls were recycled and given new life, but not necessarily in the time they were in. She found the idea impossible. If souls were simply reincarnated, surely that would mean that the population would have a certain limit to it? It would decrease, yes, but would it ever go past a certain extent?

Perhaps it was because of the fact that she did not understand reincarnation. Who did? No one she knew or knew about could have all the answers to all to her queries. If souls could exist in different timelines but in the same planet that they were born in, then she could accept the idea of reincarnation. The population change would not matter to her if such was the case.

 _She did not want this._

But despite this recent revelation of hers on the topic of reincarnations, why did it have to be her? She would have preferred to be reincarnated in a time and place where she could be with her mother – that was the desire deep within her.

So who was this gigantic woman, holding her in her arms? Who was this beautiful woman with the reddish brown hair and yellow orange eyes? What language was she speaking?

A man with dark red hair had popped into her view, standing right beside the woman, though from her angle of sight, he seemed so much taller. It was only then that she noticed a few other things – a hospital bed with green sheets, the coolness of the air released by the air conditioner, a nurse standing outside the door with a smile…

Then, it hit her. She was the child of these two people – a woman with a beautiful smile and a man with a cold look on his face.

She had wanted to cry out loud, to demand why she had been taken from her mother, to demand why she did not get the peace she expected, to demand just why it had to be her.

But she felt the peace within the warmth of the woman's hands. She _liked_ it.

She supposed she could accept this woman as another mother, but that didn't mean she would completely forget about her first mother – Alice Morgan.

She then felt tired, and the last thing she heard was the soothing voice of her new mother, before she fell asleep.

 **Scarlet**

Life as a baby was rather dull for her. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep… It was a monotonous cycle that did not provide for her any entertainment or enjoyment.

Perhaps the only thing that broke the constant cycle was when her mother would sing to her and read her stories – these came from picture books whose images she could understand but had words that she could not comprehend. The characters looked Chinese, but others didn't seem like it.

"Mukashi, mukashi, sono mata mukashi…" her mother began, as she sat on her lap, leaning back on her mother's belly.

 _Japanese, then,_ Elise thought. She had seen the cover of the book, and recognized it as a book her older brother had been studying when he took Japanese as an elective. Unfortunately, she could not remember the title.

 _The Tale of Urashimatarou? Was that it?_ , she wondered.

Her mother's reading was disrupted when the door opened and her father walked in with a stern look on his face.

"Well?" he asked her mother, as he locked his piercing gaze onto Elise.

Her mother bit her lip and sighed. "Masaomi, she's only been here for a few months. You can't expect her to just walk already."

"She is an Akashi. Personally, I would have preferred it if she were born a male, but because she is female, it is even more important for her to achieve excellence." Her father – Masaomi – had said sharply.

She had been here a few months. Was it three? Four? When _did_ babies start walking? She was pretty sure they crawled first, but she knew that at this state of hers, she could barely move her limbs without getting tired easily.

Cons of being a baby, she supposed.

"Teach her, Shiori. In a week, I will come by again to assess her." Masaomi said, leaving immediately.

Her mother – Shiori – sighed again, stroking Elise's hair. "I'm sorry. He's just… disappointed. His father has been pushing him to get a male heir, and I can only get pregnant once. He's disappointed in _me_ , I suppose."

'But no one can control it' was what Elise had wanted to say, but she had only released a few incomprehensible words.

Shiori giggled at her and hugged Elise. Shiori then frowned. "You know, once you grow up, you'll only have to go through so much hardships. The Akashi family had always strived for excellence. Because you are the sole heir, your father would only end up pushing you hard in all areas…"

Shiori sucked in a sharp breath. "I'll have to teach you to walk, then. No one can deny an Akashi… Come on, Seijuuro, let's try crawling first."

And as Elise was gently placed on the ground, it hit her.

 _Japanese._

 _Red hair._

 _Akashi._

 _Seijuuro._

She was Akashi Seijuuro.

Holy crap, she was _Akashi Seijuuro_ , and she was in _Kuroko no Basuke_.

Oh my.

 **Scarlet**

 **Me: How was it? I mean, it's my first try at an SI fic, and at a Kuroko no Basuke fic, so I hoped I got the character's personalities right, at least the ones in this chapter.**

 **Welp, what do you think of it so far? Please tell me in a review!**

 **See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Me: Thank you so much for the faves (16) and follows (30+)! I didn't expect this much, haha! And I'm so sorry for updating late. Stuff came up and I couldn't update but now I can so here's the first chapter!**

 **Scarlet**

 **Chapter 1**

It was frustrating.

She gritted her teeth as she tried to push herself up again with her weak, short limbs, her mother supporting her from behind. She remembered: babies could push themselves up when they were five months old, and could only walk when they reached around eight or ninth months, if she was right. By seven months, they could stand. But she had not been here long, had she?

She wanted to complain about this. Was this what Akashi had been through?

Akashi.

She was tempted to scoff when she heard his name, but she was a baby, and she doubted that she could do so.

She was Akashi Seijuuro.

The reincarnation part, she could accept. Being reborn as that redhead, she could not. Shiori and Masaomi's presence should have been enough proof of it, but still. Why him of all people?

'Akashi' was always paired with being 'absolute'. How could she be absolute if she could not even walk? She understood where Masaomi – _Father_ – was coming from, but she was probably barely five months old! How was she supposed to do this?

"I'm sorry, Sei-chan," Shiori told her, patting her back as they took a break from the exercise. Shiori was teaching her how to stand up today. "I didn't think he would make you do this. I wish he'd go easier on you."

 _As if,_ Elise – _Seijuuro_ – thought grumpily.

"But he does love you."

She _so_ wanted to roll her eyes at that statement. Parents who loved their kid wouldn't set impossible deadlines for them. Parents who loved their kid would bother visiting. Parents who loved their kid would talk to them, read them stories, spend time with them… Masaomi was not a parent. Shiori was.

Shiori…

She supposed that she could consider Shiori her second mother, though she would never forget about her first mother – the woman who first took care of her, who first let her go swimming with the dolphins, who was always her first teacher. She couldn't say that Shiori was just a substitute, but she also couldn't quite see her as a mother yet. It would take time.

Shiori wiped off her sweat with a damp towel, and she felt the coolness on her skin. Oh, how she wanted to just fall asleep again.

"Oh, I know you're tired, Sei-chan. Alright. Let's just try one more time, and then I'll let you take your nap," Shiori told her gently, as she was gently lifted up again, her bare feet connecting with the cold marble floor.

Elise let out some gibberish response to let Shiori know that she was ready. Shiori, with her mother instinct, knew what _Seijuuro_ was trying to say.

Shiori then slowly let go of her grasp on Elise, and the latter took a deep breath.

 _If I fall, then screw it. I get to sleep anyways._

She lifted her foot slightly and took a small step, steadying herself to keep herself balanced. She took another step, and another. A proud smile was growing through her face when she suddenly fell forwards. Thankfully, Shiori had caught her in time.

"Are you alright, Sei-chan?" Shiori asked worriedly, scanning her for any bruise. She sighed with relief when she had spotted none. "I'm so proud of you, Sei-chan. We're making progress."

If Shiori had said anything else, Elise wouldn't know. The moment she had fell back on the warmth of her new mother, she had immediately fallen asleep.

 **Scarlet**

It had been six days – six grueling days of practicing her walking, of getting her muscles used to her weight. It had been six days when she finally saw her reflection in the mirror of her room. She had red locks and red eyes. She looked so much like Masaomi, but she longed for her mother's beautiful eyes.

"Sei-chan, your father's calling for us in his study," Shiori had told her, as she was lifted into the woman's arms. They went out of her gigantic room, and outside was an even more gigantic corridor with tessellated designs. Pictures decorate the walls, and so did various artifacts.

To Elise, it had been a long walk to the study. The house itself was fascinating, and she found herself wondering if there would be any secret rooms in here.

Shiori had stopped in front of a large wooden door and knocked. "Masaomi, we're here."

"Enter," Masaomi's voice called out to them, slightly muffled.

Shiori opened the door and Elise saw the contents of the room. Masaomi was sitting behind a large desk stacked with various piles of paper. In the room were several bookshelves and a potted plant. Behind him was a large open window that allowed her to see a beautiful view – a small but clear lake surrounded by many flowers.

 _For such a stern guy, he's got a really great wife and a nice view of the world._

"Let's see your progress, Seijuuro."

Masaomi had said it as if it was a test, but she knew it was more than that – it was something expected of her. She tried not to scowl.

Shiori had set her down on the ground and stayed back.

"Shiori, wait outside." Masaomi had told the woman blankly. Shiori wanted to argue – tell him that she wanted to see her child walk, to see his face when he saw her child walk, but she knew it was pointless to argue. He knew best, after all, even if his methods were not what she preferred. She sighed and nodded, glancing at her wide-eyed child before slipping out the door.

Elise was surprised. _Did he really just tell his wife to leave? What a jerk._

"Begin, Seijuuro."

She looked at him – he had a blank face. Taking in a deep breath, she took her first step. She wobbled slightly, but managed not to fall down. She could already feel his scrutinizing glare. She had to do better. She was an Akashi. She was Akashi.

She took another deep breath, taking a determined step. She was walking – wobbling – towards him, but it was working. She wasn't falling. She stopped when she neared his desk, glancing up at him.

He stared at her for a while, and she tried not to squirm under his gaze. Finally, he nodded and pressed a button on his desk. Shiori then came in, a wide smile on her face.

"You did it, Sei-chan!" she said excitedly, picking up her child and kissing her on the forehead. "Good job."

Shiori then looked at Masaomi with an expectant look, and he sighed, looking at Elise.

"You've met my expectations."

Shiori chuckled and left the room with Elise, who looked at Masaomi with a questioning look.

 **Scarlet**

Shiori was still chuckling when they reached her room. Elise was placed on her crib, and she gazed at Shiori.

Shiori let out a smile. "Just like your father."

"You know, he's an awkward person. What he was trying to say was that he was proud of you. _I'm_ proud of you. Never forget that, Sei-chan," Shiori told her with a close-eyed smile. "I'll be going now, but don't worry. Kaa-chan will come back as soon as possible."

And when Shiori left, Elise let out a sigh. She had succeeded, and boy, was she proud. So this is what it felt like to win – to be an Akashi.

She liked it.

 _Wait, what? Since when did I like this – being Akashi Seijuuro? His mother dies. His father is effed up. He goes crazy. He's constantly pressured to be absolute –_

 _But he also gets a happy ending, doesn't he…?_

She groaned. _Agh, why is my life so complicated? It's like being in a drama._

But dramas don't always end in happily ever afters.

 _Could I being Akashi have changed things?_

She groaned. She was getting a headache.

 **Scarlet**

 **Me: And that's it for now! I'll update when I can, but I definitely can't until around April 16. I'm quite busy this summer, so yeah :PP**

 **See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Me: OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE 40+ FAVES AND 70+ FOLLOWS! I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw this, so thank you! I do have to apologize for the wait, considering how long it's been since my last update. I was really busy at school, considering that I was, unfortunately, elected to become a member of our Student Council, and because I'm in my last year of high school. Adding those both gives me more stress and less free time :3 But! I managed to squeeze this in and write this, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews**

 **Elle Abel: Thanks! That's actually the very reason why I made this fanfic lol.**

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 **Guest (Feb 21): I will! :3 I'm about 75% done with the next chapter for** _ **The Replacement**_ **. Stay tuned!**

 **Kira (Feb 21): Thank you!**

 **Guest (Feb 21): Yes, Masaomi is indeed a douche :3 But, I made up some reasons for his attitude, which, hopefully, you'll read about soon!**

 **Akashicchi-ssu: Thanks!**

 **Letty-Chan19: Thank you! Don't worry, my Akashi is just a girl who was given a guy's name :3 Kind of like how Haruka from Free has a girl's name.**

 **Guest (Apr 5): I have updated :3 and I feel happy about that.**

 **Xenocanaan: Thanks! Here's the next chapter~**

 **NOTE: Elise will now be referred to as Seijuuro.**

* * *

 **Scarlet**

 **Chapter 2**

 **{Four Years Later}**

The little girl with red hair laughed as she petted her white pony, who only reached her stomach at this point. The warm breeze of the air rustled the leaves and the pony's mane, tickling the girl's cheek as she laughed again. Shiori smiled at the sight of her little Seijuuro playing with her pony, Yukimaru. He had been a gift from her father, a form of apology for all the pressure he had put her through since she had learned to fluently write in hiragana and katakana and to speak at three, not that he would say it directly to her face.

From the moment she could speak and write, Masaomi had placed Seijuuro in the hands of capable tutors, who taught her many subjects ranging from basic mathematics all the way to politics and philosophy. Because she wasn't in school yet, and because they never really needed to place her in a daycare, she had a lot of free time, and Masaomi decided to use it productively.

Shiori had been worried at first. She wondered briefly if her daughter would crack under the pressure, pressure that would only increase as she grew older. She didn't know if she should have been surprised or not, but Seijuuro took to the lessons so well. She seemed to be enjoying them, even, which made Masaomi pleased.

However, Shiori was happy once Masaomi allowed Seijuuro to take breaks on weekends, such as today, where Seijuuro could do whatever she wanted and go wherever she wanted. Of course, there were reasonable limitations, but Seijuuro had never asked for anything more. All she asked for were either books to read, some ice cream to satisfy her cravings, and Yukimaru.

In all honesty, Shiori didn't think that Seijuuro was ready for such a responsibility. Masaomi had told his wife that Seijuuro was an Akashi, so she would know how to deal with such a responsibility, along with the consequences that could stem from it. Shiori still had some doubts, but when Yukimaru had arrived, Seijuuro looked so happy. To Shiori's surprise, it was always Seijuuro who fed, watered, and brushed Yukimaru before and after her lessons. On weekends, she would spend almost the whole day with the pony.

Masaomi had sent Shiori an amused look that lasted for a second before completely disappearing. Shiori huffed playfully that day, but was happy because she knew Masaomi really loved their daughter and because she was loved Seijuuro the more every second. She loved the family she had right now, and she wouldn't replace it for anything.

"Sei-chan, I'll just be heading towards the kitchen to have a drink. Would you like me to bring you some water when I come back?" she asked.

Seijuuro smiled at her mother. "It's fine, Mother! Yukimaru and I will just be here."

"Alright, Sei-chan." Shiori smiled back as she walked towards the doors leading to the main hall, covering her mouth to shield the small cough that escaped.

* * *

Seijuuro was so happy the moment she had seen and held Yukimaru for the first time. The white pony's mane was so soft and was a well-behaved pony. As Elise, she was never allowed a pet, not even a hamster, for crying out loud, and to hold this beautiful pony in her arms was just so _amazing_. She loved him a lot. She was so in love with him that she even forgot all the proper etiquette an Akashi was supposed to maintain and hugged Masaomi tight. Once she realized what she was doing, she flinched and let go, stepping back quickly and bowing. "My apologies, Father."

She had expected a harsh reprimand, maybe even a punishment of Yukimaru being taken away – something she could never live with – but she had been surprised when she felt a hand patting her head. Gulping, she looked up slowly at Masaomi, who granted her his rare smile. It fit so perfectly on him and she felt herself smiling back. The exchange only lasted for a mere few seconds before he let go, told her that Yukimaru was her responsibility now, and left. Still, she smiled the whole day.

She had made sure to wake up early in the morning on weekdays to feed Yukimaru, give him some water, and maybe play with him for a bit. The first time she had done so, she had given Shiori a fright when a worried maid reported that she wasn't in her room when she knocked. The maids and butlers searched everywhere until a butler found her in Yukimaru's stable. Shiori had given her a hug afterwards, telling Seijuuro not to scare her like that again, but she had allowed the girl to go to her pony.

Seijuuro couldn't wait for Yukimaru to grow into the magnificent horse he would be in the future, one she could ride on and enjoy the breeze with. As far as she could remember, Yukimaru was something the real Akashi treasured a lot, and she could see why. She was getting attached to the horse, and she was getting attached to Masaomi and Shiori, the latter especially.

It had been four years since she had been reincarnated, and she had only really accepted it just recently. As a baby with only a few motor skills, she had so much time to think, so much time to finally get over her denial and accept that yes, she was Akashi now, and yes, there was no turning back.

She was finally seeing the opportunities laid down in front of her. As an Akashi, she would have access to many things and information, things that she enjoyed learning about.

When Shiori turned to leave, Seijuuro didn't really mind. She was only going to the kitchen, but after hearing Shiori cough, Seijuuro's eyes widened in realization. _Akashi's mom was sick, right? She died… in his third or fifth year at elementary school… Does this mean… it's starting?!_

Her heart beat accelerated slightly and the hand petting Yukimaru paused, earning a questioning neigh from her pony. Seijuuro glanced at the spot where her mother had previously been at and she bit her lip.

How long did she have left? Her presence could have changed things. Would Shiori die earlier?

Seijuuro didn't feel so good anymore.

* * *

When she woke up on a Thursday morning, she groaned and shoved her head back under her fluffy, white pillow. Thursdays were designated to the Sciences, and for her age, she was studying Biology and Physics. She loved Biology. It was easy for her to memorize the scientific terms and definitions, and she loved studying about the brain the most, but Physics? She'd rather not.

Even as Elise, Physics had been her mortal enemy. Most of her classmates had complained about Mathematics, but it was Physics that she whined about. She really didn't understand the purpose of studying it when she wouldn't even use it much in her life.

A maid, Flora, entered the room and gently shook her shoulder. "Seijuuro-sama, your presence is requested at the dining hall."

Seijuuro gave a small whine as she got up and nodded. "Okay."

Flora bowed and exited the room.

When she was a child, it was Flora who would help her change into her clothes, or help her bathe. Now, though, she had asked Flora if she could do it by herself, and the older girl agreed with Shiori's consent.

Seijuuro sighed as she changed into a black and red Lolita dress. One of the things she liked about being an Akashi was the fact that she could wear and buy Lolita dresses and no one would question her. Alice Morgan had always told her to wait until she was older to buy the clothes, but no one's stopping her now.

She placed her feet on the floor and exited her room, walking towards the dining hall on the ground floor. The dining hall was used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but was only really decorated extravagantly when guests were over. Otherwise, it would remain as it was, a dining hall with a long rectangular table covered in a white tablecloth, with antique pictures decorating its walls.

Once she arrived, she walked towards her designated chair, which was to the right of Masaomi, who was sitting at one head of the table. To his left was Shiori, who was drinking her soup calmly.

"Good morning, Father, Mother," Seijuuro said as she sat down on the soft mocha-colored chair, placing baked potatoes and green, leafy vegetables on her plate.

"Good morning, Sei-chan," Shiori smiled at her, while Masaomi gave a short nod.

They ate their breakfast in silence. Seijuuro was about to excuse herself to go attend her Physics lesson when Masaomi cleared his throat to gain her attention. "Father?"

"Sit down, Seijuuro."

Seijuuro blinked in surprise and sat back down, looking at Masaomi with curious eyes. "Did you need something from me, Father?"

"Yes." Masaomi nodded. "It has come to my attention that you are now old enough to join me in my business trips and meetings. Shiori and I have agreed that this will be a learning experience for you for when you take over the company from me."

Seijuuro nodded back. "Of course, Father. It's an honor to join you."

"Good." Masaomi said. "Have Flora pack some clothes for you. We will be leaving in two hours."

"Yes, Father." Seijuuro bowed her head slightly before excusing herself and walking back towards her room. While on the outside she kept her composed face on, on the inside, she was squealing with joy. She was going somewhere. _I've never been out of America before! I've never even been to Japan! Who knows where we'll be going? Oh, I hope it's at Osaka or maybe in Germany!_

* * *

Seijuuro and Masaomi boarded the plane hours after saying good-bye to Shiori and leaving their mansion. They were seated at the VIP section, which was secluded from the rest of the passengers, something Seijuuro was grateful for. She had never really liked sitting with strangers and letting them see you eat.

As they passed by several clouds, Seijuuro glanced at Masaomi, who was staring blankly at one of his papers. _Something for the trip_ , she assumed. "Father?"

Masaomi's red eyes, eyes that mirrored her own, glanced back at her, an eyebrow raised.

"May I know where we're heading?"

"We are going to have a meeting with our business partners in America, Seijuuro. I trust your English is well?"

Seijuuro held back the gulp she was about to make. _America. Mom. Dad_. She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, in an effort to calm her raging emotions. "Yes, Father. Yuka-sensei informed me that I was excelling at English."

"As expected of an Akashi," Masaomi said, acknowledging her achievement.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they neared America. Seijuuro felt her heart drop slightly, wondering if her parents were alive in this lifetime.

"Do not be afraid, Seijuuro. Akashis are never afraid. You would do well to remember that."

Seijuuro blinked and glanced at Masaomi, whose eyes landed on her before returning to gaze at his papers. _Did he just… give me some advice?_

Seijuuro found herself smiling on a Thursday.

* * *

They had checked in to a five-star hotel and Seijuuro was waiting in her room for Masaomi to call her. The business meeting was with an American company who was supported by Akashi Corp., which owned pretty much half the world's products. Seijuuro wondered briefly if their family company could be considered a monopoly, and if it was even a government-approved one, but she decided to just go with the flow. She wasn't complaining about it, anyways.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts and she opened it to see Masaomi in a business suit, looking at her state of clothes. She was wearing a purple and black Lolita this time, a black ribbon on her curled red hair and matching black shoes. He gave a sound of approval and they left the hotel, entering a sleek black car that would lead them to their destination.

The American company they were going to produced books and magazines. Apparently, the company has only been in America for a few years but was growing steadily. Masaomi and Seijuuro walked across the long air-conditioned hallways and finally stopped in front of two black doors. Masaomi pushed them open and led Seijuuro inside, where several businessmen stared at them from the long black table in the room.

Masaomi and Seijuuro bowed politely at them, earning a few bows back, as they were seated at the other end of the table.

"Good morning, Akashi-san and Akashi-san. We are only waiting for Furihata-san and his son," the head of the American company, a Jason Walker, said.

Masaomi inclined his head to acknowledge what the American said, while Seijuuro's eyes widened by a fraction in surprise. _What are the odds of the actual Furihata being here?_

And as if the heavens were answering her silent query, the doors opened and in came a tall brown haired man with a smaller but equally brown haired boy. Seijuuro's red eyes met the boy's brown ones, and the boy flinched slightly.

 _I guess he's been a scaredy cat ever since, huh?_ Seijuuro mused, wondering if she could somehow break it out of the boy. If she did, he would probably be a more interesting opponent.

"Welcome, Furihata-san and Furihata-san," Jason smiled at them.

"Good morning, Walker-san." Furihata Kouji replied along with his son, Kouki.

The father and son pair took a seat across the Akashi pair and the meeting commenced.

From what Seijuuro knew and understood from the conversation, the company's income was growing by the years, but they needed to undergo measures to prevent that growing income from declining. Thus, the company decided to seek a business contract with Akashi Corp. and Furihata Corp. to ensure their survival in the business world.

As her father analyzed the details of the contract given to me, Seijuuro craned her neck to glance at the contents. Considering that Akashi Corp. would get a 20% interest if they merged with the American company, it seemed like a pretty beneficial deal, and it seemed that Masaomi had come to the same conclusion as red eyes met red.

Seijuuro allowed a small smirk to come across her face, which was quickly wiped out when Masaomi asked her to reply for them. Seijuuro steeled her nerves and turned her eyes to Jason Walker. "Mr. Walker?"

"Yes, Akashi-san?" Jason asked, inwardly wondering what the red haired child wanted to mention at a business meeting of all times.

"My father and I would like to accept the contract and to merge with your company. We both find the contents of the contract to be beneficial for both sides, with us gaining an interest from your income and with you gaining protection from us. However, how long would this contract last? I did not see an expiration date for this. Does this mean to say that this contract will last for as long as both of our companies will last?" Seijuuro asked him, surprising Jason.

Jason was sure the girl was only _what, three years old?_ , and yet, she had such a wide range in her vocabulary. Jason was impressed. "Ideally, that would be what we are asking for. Akashi Corp. has dominated the business world for decades, and it still is. Of course, we can raise the interest to 24%, if you like?"

Knowing that Masaomi was leaving this conversation entirely up to her, Seijuuro shook her head. "The 20% interest is already enough, Mr. Walker, but thank you for your consideration. All I really needed was a clarification regarding the length of the contract."

"Then, you have my gratitude for accepting it, Akashi-san and Akashi-san." Jason said with a polite, thankful smile.

"Furihata Corp. would also like to accept the contract. As stated by the young Akashi-san, it is indeed beneficial for our company to have a share in the money you will be gaining, and it would help our company expand." Kouji said, glancing at his nervous son expectantly, the latter playing with his fingers awkwardly.

The meeting then focused on the details of the contract, explaining in detail what would happen at certain points, how this would go about, etc. Seijuuro was interested in what was being said. As the heir to the company, she knew that this kind of exposure would help her greatly, and she figured Masaomi had made her speak a while ago for practice. _Hopefully I did good._

Eventually, the meeting ended with polite greetings of farewell before the businessmen dispersed. Masaomi and Seijuuro exited the room, but Seijuuro looked up at Masaomi curiously when he stopped and look back at the room. Voices could be heard inside.

"Kouki, I expected more from you."

"B-but, F-Father, I—"

"You have been trained since you were three. That's two years of business training, Kouki. Why were you not able to say anything a while ago?"

"I w-was n-nervous a-and—"

"You saw the Akashi girl. She's a year younger than you and yet she could speak so eloquently and understand what the meeting was about. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"F-Father—"

Seijuuro glanced at the floor as Masaomi continued walking, with her following behind. "Was a while ago a test for me, Father?"

They had entered the elevator, with Masaomi pressing the button leading to the ground floor. They were the only people in the elevator. "Yes, but there was another purpose. What do you think it was?"

Seijuuro's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to think. _If it wasn't only just a test, what else could it be?_ She thought back to Jason and the businessmen's flabbergasted faces when she spoke, of how Kouji reprimanded Kouki, of her father's question. They neared the ground floor when her eyes widened. "Was it to… show me off, Father?"

Masaomi let out a miniscule smirk. "Indeed. Every Akashi, no matter the age, can handle situations well. You have met my expectations."

 _And that's your way of saying 'Good job', huh…?_ Akashi wanted to smile, because Masaomi's praise made her feel better.

She was an Akashi, and she wouldn't forget that.

* * *

 **Me: A longer chapter for you guys! Bet you didn't expect Furihata to pop up, huh? I've seen many AkaFuri fanfics, but since this** _ **isn't**_ **AkaFuri, I thought that they should still have some sort of a relationship somehow, and so this came to be.**

 **Reviews make me happy.**

 **Also, SHOUTOUT TO MY BEST FRIEND WHOSE BIRTHDAY WAS ON THE 23** **RD** **OF SEPTEMBER. I LOVE YOU, BES, EVEN IF YOU'RE OLDER NOW, HA!**

 **Tentative update date: November 5, 2016**


	4. Chapter 3

**Me: Hi, guys! Sorry for the somewhat-hiatus! I've been really busy lately with school stuff and I've been sick for the past few weeks (totally not guilty for blaming my brother for this because he was the one who infected me #ShoutoutToMyBrother), but here's a longer chapter as an apology!**

 **Also, I was supposed to update last month but then school suddenly ate up too much of my time. Sorry! :((**

 **P.S.: WE ARE NEARING 100 FOLLOWS OMG. I AM SO HAPPY. IMAGINARY BROWNIES FOR YOU ALL.**

* * *

 **Replies to Reviews**

 **To Juliedoo: I think I'll still be making about five more chapters for Akashi's interactions with her family, along with other characters besides Furihata, before starting Teiko Arc :3 Thank you for reading this, though!**

 **To YatogamiKushina: (I love your username) LOL. Thanks for that correction! I believe I've corrected it already, haha! Thank you for enjoying that chapter.**

 **To The Fool Arcana: Yup! It's currently one of my obsessions these days :3 Childhood Arc will last for five more chapters if that's fine? Then, I'll be starting Teiko Arc. SO EXCITED~**

 **To just yuki: Thank you so much!**

 **To hachinonana: I'll try, but no promises :3 I think you'll be surprised, actually.**

 **To PolyxenaLovegood: That's why I wrote this, to be honest, because I thought: 'hmm, what about I try writing about a female Akashi. I mean, I haven't seen one before…' I hope this chapter satisfies your hyped-ness xD**

 **(I** _ **really**_ **hope I typed your names right cos I'm typing them at 3:07 –dun dun dun- AM and I'm sleepy :3)**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Pre-school was a whole new experience for one Akashi Seijuuro. She had already forgotten what pre-school was like, and she honestly wasn't looking forward to spending time with children whose brain weren't even on her level yet.

She wasn't even being condescending or anything. Even as Elise, she was pretty smart – of course, not Akashi-smart but smart enough. As Elise, she was annoyed by some of her classmates because they couldn't even add fractions in seventh grade. What more now, now that she was with _five year olds_?

She remembered her mother telling her that it was good for her social and emotional development. Masaomi, despite wanting her to skip a few grades, decided to let Shiori have her way, but to give the ultimate decision to Seijuuro in a few weeks. Seijuuro herself was oh so very tempted to just go straight to high school, but she had to stay: firstly, to keep the plot intact, and second, to enjoy a childhood she never truly had.

Although she refused to even associate with these kids, she remembered, in her past life, that she never really, well, _had_ a life. It was always study, study, study. Her previous father was _worse_ than Masaomi, and she could honestly say that it was easier for her to accept Masaomi as a father than accepting _Shiori_ as a mother. Her last father never let her have fun and was never contented with her grades. As a result, Elise herself was never satisfied and never truly enjoyed life. But now… now she had the chance to actually _live_ , and she would take that chance.

"Alright, I want everyone to introduce themselves, okay? We'll pass this _red_ ball to the person on your _right_. If you have the ball, I want you to say your name, how old you are, what you like to do, and what you want to be. Okay?" the chirpy, enthusiastic voice of their teacher, Wakana-sensei, rang throughout the white encased block of a classroom. Seijuuro was in the middle of the circle, directly facing Wakana, as she was surrounded by more than ten children. She shuddered inside, wondering how bad she was as Elise to deserve this torture.

"Okay, Wakana-sensei!" the mindless minions replied to their seemingly airhead of a teacher as Seijuuro slightly regretted rejecting Masaomi's offer of skipping.

The ball was in Wakana's hands. "I'm Nanase Wakana! You can call me 'Wakana-sensei'! I'm twenty-two years old! I like teaching and I'm already what I want to be: a teacher!"

The cheerful woman handed the ball to the person next to her, a blonde girl in pigtails. The smaller girl sniffed with disdain at the rest of her classmates. "I'm Matsumoto Kyoko! I'm five years old, and I like playing with my dolls! I want to be a princess someday!" Seijuuro attempted to hide a wince as her ears hurt from the squeaky, high-pitched voice of Matsumoto Kyoko. The girl already seemed like a nuisance to her; from the way the girl carried herself, she seemed to think that she was better than the rest of her classmates. Whether Seijuuro's observation was true or false, she would need time to observe and see.

"I'm Yamamoto Itsuki! I'm five and I like dogs. One day, I want to go to the moon!"

"I'm Sakuragi Ami! I'm five! I like my older sister, and I want to be an actress!"

The passing of the ball continued on until it reached Seijuuro, who took it calmly, gazing blankly at her classmates before stating in the business-like voice she used whenever she was with her father at meetings, "My name is Akashi Seijuuro. I am four years old. I enjoy playing with my horse, Yukimaru, and tagging along on my father's business trips. I would like to become a worthy heiress in the future."

Her classmates and teacher were stunned by her – the former because she sounded so much like an adult or one of their older relatives, and the latter because, even if she was are that Seijuuro was _the_ Akashi heiress, it still amazed her that a four year old could be so mature.

The introductions went on until the circle was complete, and Wakana assigned four students to each table. Unfortunately for Seijuuro, she was in a table with Kyoko along with two other girls whose names she didn't bother knowing.

Their first class with Wakana was Mathematics, something Seijuuro excelled greatly at as Elise. Wakana handed them some worksheets to test their base knowledge, and the worksheets wouldn't be graded, anyways. Once Seijuuro received hers, she felt a little bored considering the questions only ranged from _1+2_ and _3+7_. She finished all twenty-five questions in less than a minute and raised her hand.

Wakana headed over to her immediately. "Do you need some assistance, Akashi-chan?"

Seijuuro shook her head. "No, thank you. I simply wanted to hand over my paper to you, Wakana-sensei."

"You're finished?" Wakana hummed thoughtfully as she took the heiress' paper, scanning the redhead's answers and nodding with a smile. "Excellent work, Akashi-chan! You've got a perfect score."

Seijuuro forced herself to let out a small, satisfied smile – something a four year old would feel after accomplishing such a feat. This, however, caused Kyoko to give her a glare as deadly as a five year old could give.

"She cheated, sensei!" Kyoko whined, arms crossed as she tried to tear up to make her act convincing. "She copied _my_ answers!"

"Oh?" Wakana let out as she took a glance at Kyoko's sheet. "Matsumoto-chan, lying is bad, you know. Akashi-chan's answers are far from yours."

This made Kyoko's face burn with embarrassment as she kept quiet and decided to go over her answers. Seijuuro tilted her head at this action of the other girl's and figured that children would simply be children.

The rest of the day went along smoothly until lunch break came along. Just like recess, they were allowed to roam around the garden outside of their classroom and just like before, Seijuuro had chosen to stay by the tall tree in front of their classroom, directly in front of Wakana's view. Seijuuro was pleased by this tactically placed tree because if her classmates decided to bother her, Wakana would know.

"Hey, you! Akashi!"

Seijuuro raised a brow at Kyoko, who was flanked by their two other seatmates. Kyoko had her arms on her waist, attempting to look like an intimidating person, but her round face and childishness erased whatever fear she wanted to place on Seijuuro. It didn't help that Seijuuro was technically a teenager.

Kyoko huffed at the lack of response given to her by the redhead. "Aren't you gonna say something? I called you!"

Seijuuro closed the book she was reading, placing her finger in between to mark the page she was at. "I'm afraid I don't respond to people who don't interest me."

Kyoko glared at her with flushed cheeks. "Just because you're smart doesn't mean you have to be mean!"

Deciding that this encounter would probably provide her with more amusement than annoyance, she let the blonde girl do her thing. "Alright, then. Speak. What do you want from me?"

"Stop showing off, okay?! Besides, you probably _did_ cheat! How else could you have answered the paper so fast?" Kyoko whined. "That should've been me who finished first! I'm smarter than you!"

"Smarter than me?" Seijuuro echoed. "So that's what's been bothering you to the point of bothering _me_? Matsumoto, there will always be people better than you at something. Turns out that I'm really just better than you, and you can't change that. Perhaps you could, but would you?"

Kyoko stared at her, probably in an attempt to process everything Seijuuro had said. Once she did, she pouted angrily and moved forward to hit Seijuuro out of pure envy and annoyance, until Seijuuro heard a gasp along with rushed footsteps.

 _Oh, yes. Wakana would know indeed._

"Matsumoto-chan!" was the scandalized voice of Wakana once she registered that Kyoko was on her way to hit the Akashi heiress. Not only would the redhead be hurt from this, but it would also affect the blonde girl and possibly, her parents. She was nearing them, about to run in and pull the redhead away from the blonde when she saw the redhead duck smoothly, grabbing the blonde's arm and flipping her onto her back gently.

Wakana stopped, surprised at the ability of the redhead to stop the blonde's attack, when she shook her head and continued on her path. She helped the blonde stand, glancing at the redhead to see if there was any previous damage, and pleased to find that there was none. She then turned to the blonde, who was already pointing an accusing finger at the redhead. "Wakana-sensei! Did you see that? She was going to hurt me!"

Seijuuro looked at the blonde with a blank face, but anyone smart enough could see that she gazed at the older girl with displeased and slightly irritated eyes. "I don't suppose you believe her, Wakana-sensei? Matsumoto arrived here with her lackeys in an attempt to intimidate me. Why? She was envious of me because I possess an intellectual capability that she currently lacks, and from this envy, she decided to attempt to attack me."

"Sensei, she's lying!" Kyoko whined, cheeks burning from how bluntly Seijuuro stated her jealousy, and from how the truth was said. "I did not!"

Wakana was torn between believing the heiress because Kyoko had proven once that she would lie, and between being neutral because she wanted to give Kyoko the benefit of the doubt. Thus, she decided to look at Kyoko's, in how Seijuuro had phrased it, 'lackeys' and waited for an answer from them.

Seijuuro herself knew that children were never truly capable of lying from the truth, and it was very rare to find loyal children that wouldn't snitch. Thankfully, Kyoko's friends were snitches.

"We're sorry, sensei, but Akashi is right!" one said.

"We're really sorry! We didn't know Kyoko-chan would do that!" the other said with tears in her eyes.

Wakana sighed, glancing at Kyoko. "That's two lies in a row today, Matsumoto-chan, and it's only been the first day. Perhaps I should have a conversation with your parents about this."

Kyoko looked scandalized, but Seijuuro didn't feel an ounce of guilt. Children like Kyoko needed to be disciplined as soon as possible. By letting this matter pass, Kyoko would eventually grow worse and be one of the bullies Seijuuro had observed in her high school. No, Kyoko did deserve this.

"Please don't, Wakana-sensei!" Kyoko begged.

Wakana sighed again. "Alright, Matsumoto-chan. I won't. _However_ , if I find out you've been bullying someone again, I'm afraid I really have to talk to your parents. Bullying is never the answer to anything, Matsumoto-chan, especially if you're jealous of someone. So, please try not to do this again, okay?"

Kyoko did not answer, but gave out a nod. At that, Wakana nodded. "Alright, how about Akashi-chan and I head in now?"

Seijuuro shrugged as she followed Wakana inside the classroom. Wakana sat on her desk as Seijuuro sat at her assigned one. She was about to bring out her book, a book on psychology that her tutor had asked her to accomplish by the end of the week, when Wakana sat in front of her, catching the redhead's attention. "Yes, sensei?"

"Are you truly alright, Akashi-chan?"

"Yes, I am, sensei." Seijuuro noted the nervous look on Wakana's face, and she supposed it was worry that her father would find out and have her fired. "Don't worry, sensei. My father won't know, so you won't have to worry about your job."

Seijuuro must have hit the spot, with how the worry was gone from her teacher's face, but was surprised to find her teacher chuckling softly. "Sensei?"

"I'm sorry, Akashi-chan, but I wasn't worried over my job. Maybe I was, a little, because it was still an act of bullying, no matter what." Wakana hummed. "I was actually worried about _you_ , Akashi-chan. Regardless of being the heiress to your father's company and regardless of smart, you _are_ still a child and you're younger than most of your classmates. This could have an impact on your development."

Seijuuro blinked in surprise. Wakana was worried about her? Why, because she was a student? "I am grateful for your worry, sensei, but I am fine. The earlier incident won't bother me at all. It was expected since Matsumoto did not undergo the upbringing I am currently going through. She is not mature enough, but I am."

Wakana nodded. "Alright, Akashi-chan. I trust you, but _please_ tell me if she bothers you again."

"Hai," was Seijuuro's response, pleased to know that Wakana was speaking to her and treating her like an adult.

* * *

After finding out what happened to Kyoko, no one bothered Seijuuro again, and she was relieved – she could now read in peace without any immature child irritating her.

* * *

The gardens in the Akashi mansion were one of her favorite places to be. She liked how peaceful it was in this area of the mansion, how the wind hit her cheek and made her feel drowsy, how the atmosphere just made her want to lie down on the grass and simply stare at the clouds all day if she could. She had her drawing book in tow, a pencil tucked in between a few pages of the book as she searched for the bench she usually stayed at where she drew.

No one bothered her here – not even Flora – because they knew that she would only come back when she felt like it. She found her bench a few moments later, but was surprised to see a little brown haired boy sitting there and crying. She tilted her head curiously, scanning the area to see if there was adult nearby. As she expected, there weren't any.

It was only when the boy looked up to wipe his tears away that Seijuuro realized that it was Furihata Kouki. "Furihata-san, what brings you here?"

He shrieked in surprise, hurriedly drying his eyes as he stood up and bowed to her apologetically. "I-I'm sorry, A-Akashi-s-san! M-My f-father w-w-was here, b-but I g-got distracted b-by the b-butter-f-flies and—"

"So you're lost."

Seijuuro was hiding amusement in her voice as she watched Kouki stutter and try to explain. "It's fine, Furihata-san. You're only human, after all. Come, I'll lead you to where our fathers are having a meeting."

She took a few steps forward before stopping, noticing that the boy wasn't following her. She looked back and saw him nervously playing with his fingers the way Hyuuga Hinata did in _Naruto_. "Do you not wish to go to your father?"

"…"

His silence was her answer. As she recalled her last encounter with him, she also recalled how his father treated him and she wasn't surprised to find that he was hesitant in spending more time with the intimidating man. Her gut feeling was telling her to accompany the kid, and she listened to it.

"Perhaps you would like to stay here, then? I don't mind."

Her statement was returned with wide eyes and a hopeful look in them. (It hurt a little to see such eyes on a child.) She hummed and sat on the bench, patting the space next to her for him to sit down. She began sketching a bird's nest that she spotted on the tree in front of her, focusing on her pencil's strokes. She felt him hesitantly sit on the other end of the bench, curiously peeking at her.

She felt amused, although she didn't show it. She tilted her book in such a way that he would see what she was doing and she heard him let out a small gasp – of surprise, perhaps, that she could draw such a thing at the mere age of four? Drawing had been her hobby as Elise, and she supposed the skill travelled onto this world.

"Y-You're really g-good at t-that, A-Akashi-s-san," was the quiet comment she heard from the shy, blushing boy.

"Thank you," Seijuuro said, and she didn't push for more conversation: firstly, because she didn't need to, and secondly, because she didn't really want to push the boy into something big for him to do.

That was how their fathers found them: Seijuuro lazily finishing her sketch and Kouki shyly watching her. Their fathers looked an one another with similarly raised eyebrows, wondering if one had pushed his child into doing so for a possible marriage contract. Either way, both fathers amusedly entertained the idea deep down inside.

* * *

Seijuuro found her father pleased one Saturday morning. Then again, he seemed quite pleased nowadays, despite her mother's growing sickness.

She sat down on the seat to his right in the dining hall table, placing some omelets on her plate as she glanced at him. He was holding a white card in his hand, and although his face was blank, she could see some sort of positive emotion in his eyes. "Father?"

"It seems you are doing well, Seijuuro. It is expected, of course, as you are an Akashi." Masaomi hummed as he handed her her report card, showing her that she had aced every single subject. She wasn't surprised – she had an unfair advantage of having a teenager's mind, after all.

"Thank you, Father." Seijuuro said, a smile trying to force its way onto her lips. She felt really proud of herself. Pre-school may have been a child's game to her, but Masaomi's praise made her feel good about herself. However, the smile stopped its efforts when her eyes landed on the empty seat in front of her. "…How is Mother?"

She didn't look at him directly, but she just knew that Masaomi no longer held that emotion in his eyes, placing his carefully crafted mask onto his face. "She is fine, Seijuuro. There is no need to worry about her."

That was what he said, but Seijuuro just _knew_ that Shiori was going to die. She hadn't seen much of Shiori these days, as the woman was always bedridden and insisted that the smaller girl not stay cooped up in a room with her lest she become infected as well.

Seijuuro sighed. She missed Shiori.

(But she also knew one thing that could take her mind off of her worries for a while)

"Father?"

Masaomi glanced at his daughter, who had a curious, yet slightly hopeful look on her face.

"Would it be alright if I learn how to play basketball?"

He blinked at the question. "What is your reason for this?"

"Basketball is a sport that could test my mental ability and mental strength…" she trailed off, but he knew the words she left unsaid: _'And', 'I', 'Think', 'I', 'Would', 'Enjoy', 'It'_.

 _("Father, may I play baseball with my friends?"_

" _No, Masaomi. You are an Akashi, and Akashis do not engage in rough sports. Furthermore, Akashis do not have 'friends'. We only have pawns. Do you understand, Masaomi?")_

Masaomi couldn't help but go back to the days when he was just like his daughter. The only reason he was even pushing her this hard was so that she wouldn't fail one day, and perhaps, to satisfy his father who refused to visit because he had given him a female heir instead of a male one.

He was just like her once upon a time, before he had to let go of his hope to have simple pleasures in life to become an Akashi. And honestly? He didn't want her to end up like him.

"Very well, then, but ensure that your grades do not slip."

If she was surprised or pleased by his answer, she did not show it, but he knew.

He knew he had done the right thing.

* * *

Seijuuro was surprised that Masaomi had actually agreed to her request, but then she realized that canon!Akashi was able to let canon!Masaomi agree. It was meant to be, after all.

After dinner, their driver, Kon, drove her to the nearby basketball court, which was conveniently located only two blocks away from their mansion. She had a basketball with her, one that Masaomi had purchased that very day and handed to her. She laughed lightly as she remembered his utterly uncomfortable faced when she hugged him tightly and refused to let go for a few minutes.

She dribbled the ball, eyebrows furrowed as she tried remember what her male friends had taught her.

 _("You dribble it like this, Lis! Otherwise, you'll lose control of the ball!"_

" _And watch this! You bend your knees then SWOOSH! Let go of the ball and let it fall into the net!"_

" _Jake, I doubt she understood what you just said."_

" _SHUT UP, KEVIN.")_

She had grown accustomed to being Akashi Seijuuro that she had forgotten some parts of her time as Elise Morgan. She felt guilty that she had forgotten her two best friends, but she shook her head. There was no hope of her going back, anyways. Besides, she should at least finish canon before thinking of ways to go back.

She dribbled the ball carefully with her right hand, keeping her eyes on the hoop. She then switched the ball to her left hand, positioning herself to shoot the ball. She bent her knees and prepared to flick her wrist when a voice echoed throughout the empty court, "That's going to miss, you know."

She gasped in surprise, stumbling slightly as she lost control of the ball, which ended up missing the hoop completely. She glared at the intruder – a boy with raven hair and dark brown eyes with a hint of grey. "It missed because you distracted me."

"Even if I didn't, it still wouldn't have made it. You lack the appropriate strength. If it _did_ make it, which I highly doubt, it would be… pure luck," the boy said, approaching her slowly. Once he was only a few steps away from her, she realized two things: one, he was older than her, and two, he was unmistakably Nijimura Shuuzo – _the_ Nijimura Shuuzo.

Her eyes widened slightly. _This… isn't right. It was never mentioned if Akashi and Nijimura knew each other prior to Teiko, right? Then again, I already effed things up once I had seen Furihata, but this is diverging WAY too far from canon._

She sighed. _But really, why am I even worrying? My presence here probably already caused a ripple effect. Might as well go with the flow as long as the plot's still the same…_

"—and adjust your angle… are you even listening to me?" the boy huffed, sending her an annoyed look.

She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry. I was thinking about the universe and all the philosophical questions I'd ask Kami once I died." _Or at least, if Kami would let me die and not get reincarnated into someone again, fictional or not._

"Huh…" the boy said, getting the ball from her and shooting a perfect shot. "That's how you do it."

"Hn," she let out, crossing her arms as she analyzed his form. _So that's what was wrong with me. My back should've been a little straighter, my feet a few centimeters more apart and—_

"Stop overthinking these things, jeez," the boy rolled his eyes at her. "It comes naturally, you know."

"I can't help it. I was raised to overthink complicated situations."

"And you think basketball is complicated? Maybe so, but the basics are called _basics_ for a reason."

"Are you insulting me?" Seijuuro huffed. Whether or not this boy was Nijimura Shuuzo, she wouldn't tolerate anyone insulting her intelligence, _especially_ someone mentally younger than her.

"Depends on how you take it," the boy said with a little smirk. "One-on-one?"

"I don't even know how to play," Seijuuro said with a tiny pout.

"Want me to teach you?"

She was surprised at his offer. _Who taught Akashi how to play, anyways? Either way, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Nijimura. …Eh. Whatever. The means don't matter as long as I reach the end._

"—spacing out again, idiot."

"Don't call me that." Seijuuro glared at him without any real heat. "Why did you even offer anyways? We don't even know each other."

The boy shrugged. "Name's Nijimura Shuuzo. Don't really care what you call me. There, now you know me."

"Akashi Seijuuro," she said in reply. "What do you want in exchange?"

"The hell? Who said anything about exchanging anything?" Shuuzo asked.

"No one just gives out free offers as big as teaching a beginner how to play basketball." Seijuuro reasoned out. She remembered some kids in her previous life who offered to tutor those in need but in exchange for either money, food, or some kind of favor.

"I don't really want anything…"

"I think you do." Seijuuro said stubbornly.

Shuuzo sighed exasperatedly at the younger girl. "Whatever. We'll talk about that some other time, I guess. Come on. Let's start with dribbling, the _most basic_ thing you need to _learn properly_."

"Tch."

* * *

A week later, she could dribble as perfectly as a four year old could.

Three weeks later, she could shoot from the free-throw line.

Two months later, she was already shooting three-pointers, although not as accurate as her two-pointers.

Three months later, she was theorizing on how to do canon!Akashi's Ankle Break.

By the fourth month of being taught by the raven haired boy, she finally admitted out loud that he was a friend to her. (He laughed at her once she had said so, and it earned him a smack on the back of his head)

And all was well.

For now, at least.

* * *

 **Me: Thank you for reading the fourth chapter of Scarlet! The fifth chapter will** _ **probably**_ **be uploaded sometime in February, assuming that** _ **someone**_ **doesn't** _ **confess**_ **yet. Heh.**

 **ANSWERS TO POSSIBLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHAPTER**

 **1\. Is Kyoko going to have an impact on the story?** Eh, not a major one, but she'll be in some filler chapters for my Seijuuro's amusement.

 **2\. Will Kouki and Seijuuro actually get engaged?** I am honestly toying with this idea, although the main pairing will still be Nijimura x Akashi. However, I can say that Kouki and Seijuuro will become friends one day. Whether or not their fathers actually bother making an engagement between them will depend on… me?

 **3\. Why is Masaomi so OOC, omg?** If you look at my summary, I've included that this story will be an AU. It won't diverge from canon, but it will have some changes that would affect the relationships of the characters. The first major divergence that I have made is Masaomi being an understanding but still strict father. He won't be like his canon self because I can't really push myself to write something as depressing as that. Plus, I like toying with his character.

 **4\. Why did Akashi meet Nijimura so early? Will the romance start immediately?** Nope. I came up with the idea of Akashi learning from Nijimura at school, actually. I didn't remember how canon Akashi learned so I figured why not make him, er, her, learn from a canon character? Nijimura came into mind because I thought it would be a nice way to develop a bond between them that would eventually turn into something romantic.

 **5\. Why did Nijimura help Akashi? Is this going to be some sort of plotless romance where the guy falls for the girl immediately and vice versa?** OH HELL NO. I _really_ don't like plotless romances. Nijimura's got a reason for helping Akashi, which will be revealed in a later chapter.

* * *

 **Preview for Chapter 5**

Once she had the fresh batch of cookies safely placed in her lunch box container, she skipped all the way to the basketball court, where she was planning to meet up with Shuuzo. Upon arriving, she stopped in her tracks, quite surprised at the scene playing in front of her eyes.

"I told you to give me the ball, you dumbass!"

"Language, kiddy."

"I'm not that much younger than you, you punk!"

"Ooh, 'punk'. I feel _so_ insulted."

"Tch. _Bite me_."

"If you wish."

"What the hell? Oi, Akashi, control your mutt!"

Seijuuro blinked, rubbing her eyes to see if she was only dreaming a rather strange dream. Apparently, this was reality. "Settle down, Shu-chan, Haizaki-kun."

 **TILL NEXT TIME!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Me: I am so,** _ **so**_ **sorry for this late update! We crammed all our lessons in February so that we could have our final exams on the first week of March, and then we had projects to finish, graduation practices, and then immediately after that, I attended (am still attending) advancement classes and boxing, so you can see how busy I really was (am)…**

 **Anyways, here is the fourth chapter. Hope you enjoy, darlings.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

Seijuuro's last field trip during her time as Elise was at a museum. She remembered having to take down so many notes because the teachers decided that they would use whatever was discussed in the museum as topics for their essays. Joy. So, you could understand why Seijuuro decided that their field trip _now_ would be much more enjoyable than the previous one.

"Remember to hand your parents the letters regarding our field trip! Have them answer the reply slip and give them back to me by Friday, okay?" was what Wakana-sensei had told them a week before.

Seijuuro remembered handing the letter to her father with a blank face, knowing that though this wouldn't be a trip she would be fond of, it was still better than memorizing every single piece of information in the museum. Masaomi glanced through the paper and read it quickly but slowly enough to understand what it entailed – such was the ability of an Akashi who was used to doing paperwork every day. Masaomi nodded and let her go, giving her some pocket money (which was probably enough to treat two other classmates to meals for a whole day) and telling her to be cautious, as she was the Akashi heiress – and in Masaomi language, that pretty much meant 'stay safe'.

Now, she stood here in front of the black, slightly rusted metal gates of the zoo, wearing a cap to shield her eyes from the glaring brightness and heat of the sun. Behind her were her other classmates, as they were arranged in alphabetical order, and in front of her was Wakana-sensei, who was smiling so excitedly.

"Are we all ready?" she asked.

"Yes, Wakana-sensei!" the children behind Seijuuro screeched, making her wince slightly.

"Then, let's go!"

Wakana-sensei led them all to their first animal of the day: an elephant. It was large, stocky, and grey – just like your usual elephant. It was playing in the water and spouting water from its trunk, making the children, minus Seijuuro, squeal in delight. Wakana-sensei herself was taking a picture of the elephant.

Seijuuro, instead, brought out her notepad and began documenting their trip, along with the actions of the first animal they viewed. It was for their project, after all.

Before the trip began, Wakana-sensei had told them that this would be an educational field trip – meaning, they would be using this for a project; it wasn't a field trip purely for amusement. The instructions were simple: to note what animals they viewed and what the animals were doing when they got there. They would then use this information for a group project.

Seijuuro knew, without a doubt, that she would remember it all, anyways, but to be sure, she would note it all down. She couldn't say the same for the rest of her classmates, who she was sure forgot about the point of their field trip – she didn't even see anyone else noting this all down.

The second animal they visited was a giraffe, and it made Seijuuro feel so tiny. She already knew that giraffes were tall as heck, but she felt dejected when she realized that canon!Akashi was short, so she would be too.

"Ano, sensei, Akashi-chan has mushrooms growing around her."

"Oh, you're just seeing things, Futaba-kun, but thank you for being concerned about your classmate."

They had seen an alligator, a turtle – and my Kami, Seijuuro couldn't help but laugh when Kyoko started screaming about how the turtle was going to eat her, a snake, some fish, and a duck before they decided to stop by the zoo restaurant for some lunch. The lunch was already included in the miscellaneous fees, but Masaomi still went through with the pocket money so that Seijuuro could buy herself some souvenirs if she wished.

Unfortunately for Seijuuro, they had to sit in tables with their tablemates at school, so she was stuck with Kyoko and her lackeys, whose names were Ami and Erika. Seijuuro ordered some steak – her favorite as Elise – with a side dish of potatoes and garlic, along with two dark chocolate muffins – which she had to pay for, but she didn't mind – for dessert. As Elise, she wouldn't have eaten this much, but in this body, she discovered that she had a fast metabolism, and so she decided that it wouldn't hurt to indulge in food every now and then.

As she ate, she noticed Ami glancing at her one uneaten cupcake every now and then. Seijuuro found herself amused, noticing the lack of a wallet in Ami's hands and pockets.

" _I'm Sakuragi Ami! I'm five! I like my older sister, and I want to be an actress!"_

" _We're really sorry! We didn't know Kyoko-chan would do that!"_

Yes, Seijuuro recalled who Ami was, and decided that Ami was nice enough. "Would you like to have my other cupcake, Sakuragi-chan? I'm afraid I'm a little full, and I don't think it would be proper to simply throw away such good food, hm?"

She watched as Ami blushed in embarrassment, probably knowing that she was caught, nodding slightly and gently taking the cupcake from its plate. "Thank you, Akashi-chan."

Seijuuro nodded in acknowledgment, aware of Kyoko glaring at both her and Ami.

"Why are you trying to steal my friends away?!" Kyoko demanded.

"Your friends? Are they even your friends, Kyoko, or do you only want them to surround you because it makes you feel good about yourself?" Seijuuro asked, tilting her head slightly in amusement.

Kyoko scoffed. "They are too, my friends! Ami-chan and Erika-chan, I'm right, right?"

Erika and Ami glanced at each other. Erika nodded slowly. "Of course, I'm your friend, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko turned her glare towards Ami, who squeaked slightly in surprise. Ami glanced back and forth between Seijuuro and Kyoko, hesitating before nodding, and whispering, "Yes, Kyoko-chan…"

Seijuuro knew what was happening. Kyoko was using her so-called intimidation tactics to keep Ami as a friend. She wasn't surprised, though. It happened all the time – not just in children. It even happened in some fraternities and sororities.

"Then, Kyoko-chan, can you even tell me what Sakuragi-chan wants to become in the future?"

The question threw the blonde girl off guard, her eyes widening as she looked at Seijuuro with a surprised face.

"What, can't you? If Sakuragi-chan really was your friend, you would know, or at least remember."

She watched as the blonde girl's face scrunched up in confusion, in an effort to try to recall what her friend had said. Seijuuro was sure that if Kyoko just tried to _listen_ , she would recall that Ami often mentioned in their table her dream of becoming an actress, and how she idolized one Horikita Rai1 for being such a great breakout child actress.

Kyoko's face then heated up in annoyance, as she clearly couldn't remember at all. She once more glared at Seijuuro before huffing. "So what if I can't remember? Just because I don't doesn't mean we ain't friends."

"Huh, is that so?" Seijuuro hummed. "Well, for future reference, Sakuragi-chan wants to become an actress. I think it's a serious dream, with the way she talks about it all the time. I also think that she'll become a really good one in the future if she really tries."

Ami's face turned pink at the praise given to her by the younger girl, thankful that the latter was doing this for her, though for what reason, she wasn't sure.

Kyoko huffed and looked away from Seijuuro, turning to focus on her meal instead.

* * *

By the time Seijuuro finished eating, she had excused herself from the table to wash up. She exited the restaurant and headed over to the washroom beside it. She washed her hands, lathered them with soap, and then rinsed the soapy bubbles off. After drying her hands, she went out of the washroom, only to hear sniffles coming from the right.

She peeked around from the edge of the wall of the washroom door, and she saw a silver-haired boy sitting down, hugging his knees as he cried. (And while Seijuuro never really could handle crying children, there was just something about this boy that was so familiar that she just had to try to help)

Seijuuro slowly approached the boy. She knew he was aware of her presence, with the way he tensed up when she was near. He didn't run away from her, which put him in her good books.

She then sat down next to him and remained silent. She could hear his sniffling stop and she could feel his questioning gaze on her.

"W-Why are y-you here?" he asked, choking a little on his words, an after-effect of his crying.

Seijuuro shrugged. "I don't really know, but you just seemed like you needed some company."

The boy took in a shaky breath as he replied, "Okaa-san and Otou-san are fighting again. I don't like it. Nii-san and I separated from them for a while, but then Nii-san's friends were in trouble so he needed to help them, and he told me to stay here, and I know he'll come back, but I don't want to hear the shouting again."

Seijuuro bit her lip. She knew how he was feeling – she'd been hearing her parents fight since she was about his age. Thing is, she got used to it – this boy probably didn't. She turned to face the boy, in order to show that she was sincere in giving some comforting words, but her voice failed her when she realized just who she was talking to.

It was Haizaki Shougo. Surprise, surprise.

She didn't know much about Shougo's life before Teiko. All she knew was that he was a bad boy who gave up on basketball for a while when Kise replaced him, until he came back for the Interhigh and the Winter Cup.

If this was just a part of his life back then, then no wonder he was so messed up in the future. She knew that a bad home life would be quite the impact on him and on any other child, especially a child around their age – it was the reason she herself was a little messed up in the head.

Seijuuro closed her mouth, turning back to the view in front of her of people walking, chattering about things they'd do, things they've done, things they want to do, families walking together… The last one hit her slightly because she had never once gone on a trip with both Masaomi and Shiori. Shiori was always confined to their home because of her sickness, and while she enjoyed going places with Masaomi, it would've been quite the experience to be with Shiori.

* * *

Haizaki Shougo really didn't like it whenever his parents fought. There was always screaming and insults, and he couldn't handle hearing it _every other week_ , and to think that today was supposed to be a special day. His father had apologized to his mother and to him and to his brother last week for his actions, and they were here today to become one happy family again, but no, they started fighting again, and it hurt.

His older brother, Kuga, decided to slip away with him in the middle of their parents' fight. Kuga took him to see so many animals, along with his favorite, the tiger, but then, Kuga's friends called him up and Shougo realized that they were in trouble, which rarely happened. Shougo knew how much Kuga treasured his friends, who were practically Shougo's brothers in all but blood, so he told Kuga to go and rescue them, as long as Kuga came back for him.

Kuga hesitated at first but nodded and went. That's when Shougo broke down and that's when this red-haired girl came up to him and sat next to him.

He tensed upon her presence, not knowing what to do. He was never good at talking with girls. He wasn't good at interacting with girls in general, besides his mother, of course. He was a little confused, though, since she didn't say anything.

He wiped his tears away and lifted his head, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She was pretty – with red hair and equally red eyes.

"W-Why are y-you here?" he asked, choking a little on his words. The girl had to have a reason to sit next to him. Why else would she be here?

He saw her shrug. "I don't really know, but you just seemed like you needed some company."

It struck him – her words. No girl had ever done something so voluntary for him before, besides his mother. She was the first girl around his age who had ever tried to help him before.

He saw her turn her head towards him to speak, but he noticed her eyes widening in shock. He cringed slightly. What if she didn't like him? What if she was one of the mean people in his school who laughed at his hair? What if she had heard the rumors about him and his family? He couldn't handle that if she left because of that.

His hopes fell when he saw her stand up and walk away. His mouth opened in shock, before he clenched his fists and glared at the pavement in front of him. It always happened – people always walked away when they heard about his reputation, his family's reputation, his brother's reputation… He should've been used to it by now, but he had a small flicker of hope in his chest that this girl would be different.

He was wrong.

That is, until he heard approaching footsteps once more, and he glared at whoever was approaching. It was the girl again, and before he could tell her to go away, he noticed two ice creams in her hands, one chocolate and one strawberry.

She handed him the strawberry flavored one – which was secretly his favorite – and he took it with shock. She sat down next to him once more, eating her ice cream, but he was still frozen. She looked at him once more and giggled – a pleasing musical sound to his ears – as she said, "Well, go on and eat it. It's starting to melt, you know."

His eyes widened as he glanced at the ice cream that was indeed about to start dripping from the cone. Hurriedly, he licked all the pink drops off and started eating the cold, sweet treat vigorously. Once he was done, he said, "Thank you."

"No problem. As long as you feel better now…" she hummed.

"I do," he said. "I'm Haizaki Shougo."

"I'm Akashi Seijuuro. A pleasure to meet you, Haizaki-kun," she said. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to stay here and talk to you more…"

His face fell when he heard her words. He was hoping he could still get to know his hero more.

"…because I'm only here for a field trip, _but_ if you want, you can come to this location tomorrow. My friend and I will be there. I'm sure he'll like you as much as I do," she finished, handing him a piece of paper that had an address as well as a map. "I've marked my house and the basketball court there. Come to the court and I can bring snacks, and if you can, we can have dinner at my place."

He nodded silently, wanting to express his gratitude and _awe_ to the girl, but he couldn't. He was rendered speechless, and the girl seemed to understand what he was feeling. She gave him a smile before leaving.

Before he knew it, his tears dried up and a large, genuine smile grew on his face, tucking the piece of paper inside his pocket safely before heading back to the place his brother left him at.

It looked like he was on his way to making his first friend, and he liked it.

* * *

Seijuuro didn't know why she did what she did, but she felt light inside because of it – felt happy, actually. A smile made its way across her face before her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly placed her indifferent mask on her face.

Wakana-sensei was standing a few steps in front of her, a position that had a clear view of whatever had transpired moments ago.

"I was pleasantly surprised when Ami was worried about you. She told me that when you came back from the washroom, you bought two ice creams and ran out again. She was concerned, and I must say, she didn't need to be, did she?" Wakana-sensei told her with a knowing smile. "It was a good thing what you did for him, you know."

Seijuuro shrugged. "Anyone else would have done it."

Wakana-sensei smiled but shook her head. "No, Akashi-chan. I don't think any other child would have done the same."

* * *

When Masaomi got home from work, he changed into regular house clothes that were still presentable should an unexpected guest arrive – and one did. The doorbell rang and one of the maids hurried to open the door. Masaomi was sitting in the luxurious black couch when a familiar person stepped inside the room.

Masaomi stood up and walked towards the woman. "Wakana."

"Masaomi," she greeted him with a smile. He led her to the couch directly in front of his, and once she sat down, he sat down in front of her.

"What brings you here?" he asked her curiously.

"Well, I know that you asked me to just send written reports on Akashi-chan's development, but I felt that this report needed to be delivered in person." Wakana said.

Masaomi raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"As you may know, we had our field trip a while ago. By the time lunch came around, we gathered in the zoo restaurant to eat. For starters, Akashi-chan has made friends with one of the girls who hung around Matsumoto-chan. That very girl that Akashi-chan befriended expressed her worry to me when she saw Akashi-chan head out of the restaurant with two ice creams in her hands. I decided to follow Akashi-chan, but I was surprised when I saw her with a crying boy. She gave him one ice cream and it seemed that she managed to cheer him up." Wakana informed him with a pleased smile on her face. "I'm really happy for her. Akashi-chan barely interacts with her classmates. She's usually sitting around by a tree, reading whatever book her tutors asked her to read, and if not, she'd be in the classroom with me, sketching. I was really worried that she wouldn't make friends, but now she has."

Masaomi hummed. "I see. Thank you for informing me."

At this, Wakana raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, Masaomi? I've known you for years. Just say what you want to say, jeez."

Masaomi's lips twitched. "Akashis only need allies, not friends."

Wakana looked exasperated before Masaomi held up a hand to prevent her from interrupting, " _However_ , I am not my father. I've given lenience to Seijuuro – she's even friends with that boy you used to teach a year ago, a Nijimura Shuuzo. They've been friends for nearly a year now."

Wakana sighed in relief. "Oh, _good_. I don't think the world can handle another Akashi Hirohito."

Masaomi huffed, but the continuous twitching of his lips betrayed him.

* * *

"Sei-chan, you really shouldn't stay here, you know." Shiori told her with a slightly hoarse voice. She was buried in sheets and the curtains were drawn, so it was quite dark, but it didn't stop the younger Akashi from looking at her mother.

Before, Shiori was so full of life – with eyes so bright and hair so smooth and silky that even Seijuuro, who wasn't a girly-girl, envied. However, not, her face was a little sunken, her eyes were dull, and her hair was still neat, but it wasn't as shiny as before.

"I am well aware, Mother," Seijuuro said as she settled down in a chair next to Shiori's bed, "but when have rules ever stopped an Akashi?"

Shiori laughed slightly. "You're sounding more like your father nowadays. I'm not even sure if that's a good thing."

Seijuuro let out a small smile as her heart clenched in pain. Shiori didn't deserve this. She really didn't.

Kami could be so cruel sometimes.

* * *

"Flora?" Seijuuro called out to her maid.

"Yes, Ojou-sama?"

The title made Seijuuro cringe slightly, but the title was fitting for an heiress such as herself. She wasn't supposed to complain about it.

"Do you think you could help me make some cookies for my friends? I'm planning to meet up with them today, and I thought that it would be wonderful if I could bring some homemade snacks for us to eat." Seijuuro explained.

"Of course, Ojou-sama! Let's head over to the kitchens, then!" Flora said enthusiastically as they made their way to the white kitchen.

The Akashi mansion had two kitchens. One kitchen was where the chefs were – it was where the main meals were made. Snacks and desserts were made in this kitchen, where Flora and Seijuuro were at.

It was white all over, with long, black counters and black cabinets stuck to the top of the walls which held numerous ingredients. There was also a large, double sided refrigerator for all frozen and chilled goods.

"Let's start then, Ojou-sama!"

* * *

Haizaki Shougo looked at the address written on the paper again, and glanced up at the street sign on a nearby lamp post. It was the same, but was this really the court Akashi Seijuuro wanted him to go to?

He glanced around him, feeling out of place in his crumpled clothes. This neighborhood was so clean and filled with large houses – houses that were practically five times the size of the apartment his family lived in! Could this really be the place?

He directed his gaze to the basketball court in front of him. Only one person was in there – a boy with dark hair who was shooting perfect two pointers and lay-ups. He was mesmerized by what the boy was doing. He had seen Kuga play basketball with his friends once, and it seemed so fun to play. He only wished Kuga had the time to teach him how to play, but he knew that Kuga's job was much more important.

He was so absorbed in watching the boy that he didn't realize that the boy had already noticed him. When he did, he jumped slightly in surprise, entering the court shyly.

"You the Haizaki kid Sei was talking about?" the boy asked.

Shougo was a little confused over who 'Sei' was until he remembered that the girl's first name was Seijuuro. He then nodded. "I suppose you're the friend she was talking about?"

The boy blinked and laughed. "She called me her friend willingly? Whew, that's new."

Shougo continued to become confused.

"Whatever. Anyways, the name's Nijimura Shuuzo, and you seem pretty interested in basketball, aye? Let's play."

And before Shougo could reply that _no_ , he didn't know how to play at all, the boy was looking at him with a challenging look in his eyes that irritated Shougo a lot.

* * *

Once she had the fresh batch of cookies safely placed in her lunch box container, she skipped all the way to the basketball court, where she was planning to meet up with Shuuzo. Upon arriving, she stopped in her tracks, quite surprised at the scene playing in front of her eyes.

"I told you to give me the ball, you dumbass!"

"Language, kiddy."

"I'm not that much younger than you, you punk!"

"Ooh, 'punk'. I feel _so_ insulted."

"Tch. _Bite me_."

"If you wish."

"What the hell? Oi, Akashi, control your mutt!"

Seijuuro blinked, rubbing her eyes to see if she was only dreaming a rather strange dream. Apparently, this was reality. "Settle down, Shuu-chan, Haizaki-kun."

The boys separated, with Shuuzo giving Shougo a condescending look and Shougo literally growling at Shuuzo.

Seijuuro sighed and said, "Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

"This idiot challenged me to play basketball when I didn't even know how to play…!" Shougo snarled.

"…and after I totally creamed him in that brief one-on-one match…" Shougo continued.

"…he said he'd teach me how to play basketball…"

"…and he pretty much sucks…"

"…but he sucks as a teacher! He kept insulting me…"

"…because, again, I stand by my point, you suck…"

"…because I didn't even know how to play, you prick!"

Seijuuro felt a smile grow on her face, laughter dancing in her eyes. "You guys are getting along pretty well, then. That's great."

"We are not!" Shougo declared at the same time as Shuuzo.

"Whatever," Seijuuro smiled, placing her lunch box on a stone bench by the edge of the court. She then marched up to him, hand outstretched, a wide smile on her face. "Let's play."

* * *

The curtains were still drawn back in the dimly-lit room. Its main occupant lay down on the bed, frail and pale. She was once such a beauty, and to see her degenerate to this… form pained him.

"It's… fine, you know…" she told him, finding the strength to give him a bright smile.

He didn't answer her. He didn't know _what_ to tell her. Anything he would've said would have been false words, anyways – he knew that.

"You don't have… to… keep wasting money on me, Masaomi. I know. I already know." Shiori said with another smile. "Just… take care of Sei-chan for me, okay…? Don't let… your father get to her. That's all… I ask."

His hand found hers and held the latter in a firm grip – his way of acknowledging her concerns, and she knew that.

"I… love you, Masaomi."

And yet again, he, an Akashi, was at a loss. What could he even tell her?

 _("Masaomi, what do you think you are doing?"_

" _Father! She was hurt, and—"_

" _Women are not as important as we heirs are. They are merely there to have our children."_

" _But… what about Moth—"_

" _Silence! Go to your room."_

"… _Yes, Father.)_

He loved her, too. He just didn't know how to say it properly without screwing up.

* * *

 **Me: And I am done. Hope you enjoy this chapter, guys! Honestly, I wanted to add some more Nijimura, Haizaki, and Akashi bonding, but it just didn't seem to fit into what I wanted. If any of you have questions, feel free to ask. I can't guarantee proper answers though ;)**

 **I** _ **might**_ **update some time in June. I'm planning to study my books the whole May, so that I can have an advantage over some of my classmates. This year and the next will pretty much define my future, so I need the study time, if you don't mind.**

 **Also, how do you even deal being stuck in a love square? Let me tell you, it SUCKS, especially when the one you love (yes, _love_ ) is in love with one of your best friends, who has a superficial thing for him, unlike me, who loves him completely. Dammit.**

 **Lol, okay.**

 **See you soon!**

 **P.S.: (1)** _ **Horikita Rai**_ **– I'm actually planning to start a new fanfic. I know, you're probably wondering why the heck I want to start a new one when I have other fanfics to complete. I don't know, lol. I just wanted to show my idea. The details of my future fanfic are seen below:**

 **TITLE – Magazine Clippings**

 **PAIRING/S – Aomine Daiki x Oc**

 **SUMMARY – He was always so concentrated on his stupid magazines that featured her perfect older sister, but what could she do? She was just Rai, the spare Horikita child. Why would he ever look at her the way she looked at him?**


	6. Shiori Interlude

**Me: Hi, guys! Terribly sorry for the very late update. School happened (I'm in a new school and it's got really high academic standards and a really heavy workload– something I was still getting used to) and my laptop got a virus and it was only fixed recently. I promise to have more updates this summer :c**

 **With that said, thank you** _ **so much**_ **for the support, guys! We're so close to 200 followers, and it's only the sixth chapter! Thanks for still sticking around, too.**

 **Today's chapter is going to be an interlude, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 **Shiori Interlude**

* * *

 **1.**

 _There he is again,_ she thinks as the red-haired man sits down once more in the corner of the quaint café. He reads the menu before calling over one of the waiters to order a cup of coffee. She doesn't know why he keeps bothering to check the menu when coffee was all he ever ordered whenever he dropped by.

The man was always quiet, bringing out some documents to mull over, writing things down in a small notepad before packing up and leaving. He wasn't like the other customers, who were cheery or were always in pairs. He was blank-faced, stiff, and didn't seem very approachable. Perhaps that's why Shiori is so observant of him. His silence attracts her attention and allows her to notice things about him.

"Shi-chan, do you have a crush on him or something?" her co-worker and friend, Sachiko, would sometimes ask her with a teasing smile on her face. "Wouldn't surprise me, you know."

"Sa-chan, it's not that, really. It's just odd how everyone else here seems so full of life and he… isn't," Shiori comments quietly as she wipes the counter with a clean rag to remove the droplets of water in it. She places the rag back down on the small table below the cashier's area and leans on the table. "It just makes me curious. Nothing more, nothing less."

The look Sachiko gives her shows her that her friend doesn't really believe her. "Whatever you say, Shi-chan."

* * *

 **2.**

She notices that he looks at her from time to time. Most of the time, it's always just a feeling she gets, like someone was trying to burn a hole at the back of her head. She always turns around, glancing around the café. She looks at all the customers, her eyes landing on the redhead's form last. His attention is still fixed on the papers he brings.

She shrugs and goes back to her business, unaware of the eyes that once more flicker back in her direction.

* * *

 **3.**

"Why do you work as a waitress?"

It was the first time he had ever spoken to her.

It is late at night, and he is one of the few people left in the café. As usual, his papers are all over the table, but arranged in a neat manner. He had called her over ( _for once_ ) to get some more coffee, and when she came back with his order, he had thrown the question at her.

She is mildly offended at first. Did he mean to ask why she had chosen such a job, or did she seem incompetent at it, she wonders.

The man seems to understand what she is thinking and opens his mouth to rephrase his question, "Why did you come to choose this job?"

He sounds genuinely curious, so he can't have meant any offense. She clears her throat before answering, "I'm not entirely sure why you want to know, sir, but it's because I wanted to be able to save up on my own."

The man hums, and she is bothered by the way he looks at her. It's as if he can see into her soul.

The man turns back to his paperwork, and Shiori assumes the conversation is over. She walks back to the cashier, but finds herself wanting to glance back at the strange man.

* * *

 **4.**

"Sir, why do you choose to do your work here?" she asks him at another late night at the café. It's something that's been bugging her. With all the people that could bring noise to the café, along with the sounds coming from the outside, and the chance that food or drinks could spill onto his work, she wonders why he still continues to stay here.

"It's soothing here," the man replies to her briefly.

Shiori blinks at the response. The noise was soothing? How? She opens her mouth to ask, but closes it instead. She didn't think they were close enough for her to ask for more.

* * *

 **5.**

For once, he doesn't come into the café early. He comes in with slightly unfocused eyes and sits in his usual place. Shiori attends to him, something she notices she's done lately. "Sir, may I take your order?"

"Some coffee," he slurs, and she can't help but smell a faint whiff of tequila.

Her eyes widen in alarm. "S-Sir, are you… _drunk_?" she whispers the last word.

His eyes meet hers and he nods. "Yes, I am, and I would like my coffee, please."

She inhales sharply in surprise, eyes wide, as she nods and scurries off to prepare his coffee. She tries to deny it, but she's a little worried about him. She's never seen him in such a state before.

She hands him his coffee and he downs it in one gulp. He turns instead to his mobile phone; his paperwork is not with him today, it seems.

"Sir, are you okay?"

He looks at her with brief contemplation, before his eyes harden and return back to the screen of his phone.

Shiori nods and walks away.

* * *

 **6.**

He returns a week later, face still stoic but his eyes a tad bit apologetic. He sits in his seat and waves Shiori over. She's still worried about him.

"Sir, may I take your order?"

"A coffee," he says, hesitating before adding, "and I would like to speak to you once your shift is over, if you don't mind."

His tone tells her that it's an order, but that he wants to make it come off as a request. She's confused, but she nods and hurries to get him his coffee.

Her shift ends in a few hours, and she puts on her casual clothes before sitting down in front of the redhead. He looks tired, she notes.

"I believe I owe you an explanation for my… behavior the week before," he starts.

"Oh, no, it's quite alright, I – " she tries to say, even though, deep down, she does want to know why.

He shakes his head and insists. "No, allow me to explain." At her nod, he continues. "I was… _caught off-guard_ (she sees that he is quite displeased at this) by something that was placed upon me, and it is something I have no desire of doing. However, my… father insists that I do it, as it is my duty."

She doesn't know why he's confiding in her, but she nods anyways. "Is it truly not something you want to do to please your father?"

"My father is a smart man, but his moves are done with the guarantee that there is a large benefit for him. He is not a bad man, but there are times wherein one must learn to consider…" he trails off, eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly as if he were thinking of how to word his next sentence.

Shiori hums. "And what is this… _thing_ that he would like you to accomplish?"

He doesn't answer.

Shiori nods. "Perhaps you should inform him that it is not what you would like to do?"

"One does not just go against what his father says," he sighs deeply.

Shiori finds herself at a loss.

* * *

 **7.**

Shiori thinks about what she knows: he was drunk because he was "caught off-guard" by what his father wanted him to do, something he doesn't want to do but has to out of duty. Considering that he did paperwork here, she assumes that he's a CEO of a company. That meant that the man was rich. Perhaps, it was an arranged marriage he was stressed about?

Shiori shakes her head. It's a wild assumption, but it's the only thing she can think of.

She tells him about her thoughts the next time she's done with her shift.

His eyebrows raise by a fraction, before his lips tilt into a smirk that makes a blush form on Shiori's face. "You're smart."

Shiori tilts her head, willing the blush away. "I was right, then."

The man hums in response.

"Is the woman your father considering… is she not to your tastes?" she wonders aloud.

"She is an ideal bride: beautiful, elegant, kind, and comes from a good family," the man says, and Shiori finds her heart hurting as he enumerates descriptions of the woman intended to be his wife. She believes that she is none of those. Then again, why is she even thinking that way?

"However…" Shiori blinks, wondering what he is about to add. "…there is someone else I have my eye on."

Shiori practically deflates at that, though she hides it well. "Oh? Who might that be? Would I happen to know the lucky girl?"

He raises an eyebrow, sending her that Kami-blessed smirk. "I believe I'm speaking to her at this very moment."

Shiori's cheeks dust pink once more as she looks everywhere but at him. She can't look at him – she knows she'll just end up blushing even more and maybe even end up saying something stupid.

She had never imagined this scenario, never though that this would ever happen.

She is brought out of her thoughts when he stands up and hands her a piece of paper. "Thursday, eight o'clock. Dress formally."

He then walks out of the establishment, leaving Shiori to open the paper and see his contact details.

She can already hear Sachiko saying "I told you so".

* * *

 **8.**

He brings her to a fancy Italian restaurant.

She learns about hos his father had had an arranged marriage with his mother, and that they never truly worked out as a couple; how Mari-san (the woman his father wanted him to marry) didn't like him in that way either; how he and Mari-san agreed that they could date whoever they wanted, and that they would find a way to break this engagement afterwards.

He learns that she is an only child, an orphan living with her aunt, and working at that café helps to make ends meet; that she wants to take a degree in pediatrics, and well, she adores children; and that she secretly loved to bake.

The night ends well with Shiori receiving a kiss on the cheek as he bids her goodnight, leaving her on the front porch of her home as he heads back to his car.

She finds herself falling for him even more.

* * *

 **9.**

She coughs into her hand, and Sachiko soothes her all the while throughout her coughing fit.

She figures it will go away anyways.

* * *

 **10.**

He takes her horseback riding for their second date.

As they ride their horses through the trail, she learns that his name is Akashi Masaomi, and that he was, indeed, the son of the owner of Akashi Corps. She is surprised and starts to feel insecure (how could a man like Masaomi even think that he could ever like someone as plain as herself?), but he takes her hand, and it's that warmth that gives her comfort.

* * *

 **11.**

They talk about the engagement.

Masaomi tells her that he and Mari-san have come up with an argument for their side, and he asks Shiori to be patient. Shiori nods but notices that Masaomi always seems to have a darker look in his eyes whenever his father is mentioned.

Is Akashi Hirohito really that bad?

* * *

 **12.**

After a few more fates, she's brought into his home to be introduced to his family. Mari-san is also there to be a support and to formally break the engagement. She's nervous because she knows he's out of her league, and really, she could never compare to someone like Mari-san.

She meets Mari-san at the luxurious waiting room. She is taken aback by how beautiful Mari-san is with her long, curled blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. Shiori feels so inferior and odd with her auburn hair and the golden eyes that had gotten her laughed at back in her elementary school. Mari-san looked like a model from a magazine, making Shiori wonder why Masaomi even chose her instead.

Mari-san treats her like an equal, though, and soon, she finds herself enjoying the company of the blonde.

Dinner is soon served, and everyone gathers in the dining hall. Akashi Hirohito is an intimidating man who sits at the head of the table, his brown haired wife on his left. Masaomi sits to his right and Shiori sits next to Masaomi. Mari-san opts to sit next to Akashi Erika, Masaomi's mother.

Dinner is silent at first, making Shiori uncomfortable because of the tension. Hirohito breaks the silence.

"So," his voice is loud in the quiet hall. "I hear that you're dating my son despite being aware of his engagement, Yanagi-san."

Shiori looks at Hirohito and sees a blank look on his face, the same blank look that Masaomi usually held when he was not with her. "Yes, that is correct."

He sneers at her. "How brave of you, to go for a man who is promised to another."

"I'm afraid that there is something you have missed there, Akashi-san," Shiori responds before either Masaomi or Mari-san could intervene. "Masaomi does not hold romantic feelings for Mari-san."

"Romantic feelings do not matter in this case, Yanagi-san," he tells her coldly.

"I'm afraid that her statement holds truth, though, Akashi-san." Mari-san adds to the conversation. "I myself do not hold feelings for your son, and I find that any engagement that does not hold romantic feelings is not pleasing. In the scenario that I do marry your son, it won't be beneficial for both companies – we wouldn't see eye-to-eye."

"With that, Mari and I would like to end our engagement," Masaomi continues, earning the gaze of the other four people present. "It is a mutual agreement, Father."

Hirohito sneers once more, sending a chilling look towards Shiori. "All of this… for a _common woman_? Have I not taught you anything?"

"You have, Father," Masaomi responds smoothly. "You told me to always make the right but smart choices that will benefit myself, and I believe choosing Shiori is one of them."

Hirohito says nothing, exiting the hall instead.

Shiori looks down, ashamed. She does not want to be the cause of a falling out between Masaomi and his family; that was the last thing she wanted. She wonders if it would be better if she broke up with him instead.

Before anything else could be said or done, Akashi Erika speaks. "Yanagi-san, I believe you've been good for Masaomi."

Shiori turns to her in surprise.

The gorgeous brunette smiles at her kindly, a smile filled with such warm in contrast to her cold husband. "Masaomi has been better ever since he's been seeing you, and it's very rare for him to defy Hirohito. I do hope you stay together. I would like to get to know you more, as well."

It is those words that make Shiori tear up. She composes herself and thanks the woman profusely.

* * *

 **13.**

She gets another coughing fit while with Mari. Mari pats her back, but the coughing won't stop. She feels like fainting as her vision turns white for a few moments.

Shiori wonders what was wrong with her.

* * *

 **14.**

Akashi Erika is a nice woman, Shiori thinks. The Akashi matriarch had been teaching her the duties of being an Akashi, hinting at a marriage between Shiori and Masaomi. Shiori blushes at the thought, but is still puzzled as to why Erika is so approving of this, other than the reasons she had informed her of a few weeks ago.

"It's because I believe that new blood is important in this family," Erika hums once Shiori gathers the courage to ask her. "While it is true that it has been tradition for Akashis to marry those of equal or close to equal standing, it does not equate to the success of the company. True, there is more money, and yes, the heirs come from good lines, but standing cannot account for attitude.

Hirohito is not the ideal husband, and he can never be, it seems. That is partly why I can never come to truly love him as a husband. He raised Masaomi the way his father raised him, but harsher. It is by luck that it was Mari who Masaomi was engaged to. I would have thought Hirohito would choose a woman closer to his own personality for Masaomi."

Erika then becomes lost in thought, but Shiori understands.

* * *

 **15.**

Shiori is beautiful in her wedding dress. Her hair and makeup are done by Mari, who she has become close friends with over the years, even to the point that they see each other as sisters. As such, Mari is her maid of honor.

"You'll make him impatient for your honeymoon," Mari teases her and Shiori turns fifty shades of red at the statement.

Beside them, Sachiko giggles in agreement.

"I'm nervous…" Shiori admits as she examines her very expensive wedding dress. She was going to marry the man who made her believe in a happy ending, but it seemed too surreal.

"You'll be great, darling," Sachiko cheers her on and Mari places a hand on her shoulder.

She can do this.

* * *

 **16.**

After they exchange their vows, and after a gorgeous reception, Masaomi and Shiori fly out to France to spend a week there.

The night of their wedding is quite eventful.

* * *

 **17.**

The day after, Masaomi is still sleeping on the bed. Shiori wakes up and heads to the bathroom to take a shower. As she is putting on her bathrobe, she coughs once more, and this fit is uncontrollable. Tears come out of her eyes as she holds onto the edge of the sink to steady herself.

She hears footsteps coming towards her and finds herself in Masaomi's arms, with him whispering soothing words in her ears.

* * *

 **18.**

He brings her to a doctor, who asks Shiori to stay for a few days to undergo some tests.

Shiori apologizes for ruining their honeymoon, but Masaomi, after hearing about the first few coughing incidents from both Mari and Sachiko, knows and believes that her health is more important.

The results come back a few days later and Masaomi and Shiori are surprised by the results.

The doctor tells them about the risks and what could trigger another attack, about possible plans of action, about anything that could still help save Shiori. He then tells them about other possible complications, and Masaomi makes sure to ingest the information, glancing at his wife.

He'll save her.

* * *

 **19.**

Shiori becomes depressed over the next few months, although she hides it well from the others and still does her part well as the Akashi matriarch. Her personal maid, Mia, takes care of her well, and Shiori begins to see the girl as a younger sister.

Mia knows Shiori's been bothered by her sickness, but it was nothing she could help with. She would just have to be supportive.

* * *

 **20.**

Shiori's depression ends the moment she feels faint and vomits in the toilet. Mia pulls Shiori's hair back. Once Shiori is finished, she asks Mia if the food wasn't cooked well. Mia shakes her head and insists that the food was fine, and that the chefs always ensured that the meals were perfect.

Shiori frowns and asks Mia for the date. She becomes contemplative after hearing that it was the twenty-first, and gasps in surprise, hurriedly asking Mia to get her a pregnancy test.

The results come back positive, and she is elated. She knows what she's risking, but she wants the baby.

* * *

 **21.**

She sees that Masaomi is both scared and excited to be a father. She knows that he doesn't want to end up like Hirohito, and she believes that he won't.

She knows that he wants to be better than his father, and he will be.

She takes his hand in hers and gives him a comforting smile. He gives her a charming smile back (one that still makes her heart skip a beat) and he leans in.

* * *

 **22.**

Baby Seijuuro arrives on the twentieth of December. She's perfect to Shiori and Masaomi.

Shiori was a little bothered by giving her daughter a boy's name, but Masaomi reasoned that it was tradition for all firstborns, the heirs, to receive male names. Shiori remembers rolling her eyes.

"My cute little Seijuuro," Shiori smiles. She knows what she's done, but she's still happy.

She sees Masaomi eyeing her with an emotion only she could identify. "It's okay. _I'm_ okay. Sei-chan's okay."

"I regret nothing, Masaomi," she smiles.

* * *

 **23.**

She's saddened when she sees hints of Hirohito in Masaomi, but she knows he can't help it after growing up under a dictator for most of his life. She sees how harsh he is on Seijuuro, and she asks him to be more lenient. He tells her that he is already being lenient with her, and that despite not wanting to be Hirohito, traditions must still be followed; those traditions _made_ an Akashi.

She sighs, knowing that there is nothing she can do to stop him. She only asks that he spends time with his little girl.

To her happiness, he agrees.

* * *

 **24.**

She gets another attack when Seijuuro is four. She knows what's happening and why it's happening.

She becomes bedridden for the next few days, too sick and too weak to spend more time with her little girl, who she adores the most.

She can only hope that some kami hears her wish and allows her to get well soon.

* * *

 **25.**

Her little girl visits her and tells her that she's made some friends, two boys named Nijimura Shuuzo and Haizaki Shougo. She is elated that her darling has some company to be with.

She tells Sei-chan that she'd like to meet the boys one day. She wants to know that she can leave her daughter in good hands.

* * *

 **26.**

Masaomi visits her again, and each time that he does, she can see him turning more and more into Hirohito.

"You're not yourself now…" she sighs weakly.

"…"

"You're turning into him, you know? It's…" It wasn't entirely unexpected, but… but when was the last time she had heard an 'I love you' come out from those lips? When was the last time he kissed her with the passion and warmth he had when they were younger? When was the last time he hugged his little girl and told her how precious she was?

When was the last time he completely resembled the man she fell in love with?

"I could find doctors abroad. It won't be that hard—"

"No, Masaomi," she shook her head firmly. "No more. Please."

"Not even for Seijuuro?"

"Masaomi, not even Akashis can stop the impossible, hm?"

"I can. I am –"

"Don't fool yourself," she sighs once more and holds his cold, firm hand, so unlike the hand she had grown used to holding.

She grasps his hand in silence, and he squeezes her own, and that's more than she could ask for.

She doesn't know why he's changed, why she can't understand him anymore, but she does understand herself, and she knows that despite it all, she loves him and she loves her Sei-chan.

"When all of this is over, take care of Sei-chan, okay?"

With a firm nod from him, she smiles.

She hears him whisper the words she had longed to her.

It's enough.

* * *

 **Me: So, that's the end of the chapter!**

 **I'd like to note that this interlude was mostly focused on Shiori and Masaomi's relationship. I guess I wanted to show first how I think Masaomi was like before getting screwed over in his head. I was thinking he was more himself before taking his father's place.**

 **Once again, I'm so sorry for the long wait.**

 **See you soon!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Me: Hey, guys! My schedule's been packed, with my balancing my time between my review center, training for cheerdance (PRAY THAT I GET IN HUHU), and boxing, but I found time to type up this chapter, hehe. It is, admittedly, a rather shorter chapter than the previous ones. Still, thank you also for the really great reception! Much love, guys. 3**

 **I also just realized how behind I am in review replies, lmao, so y'all can see the replies at the bottom of this chapter.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy!**

 **(ALSO I REALIZED I LISTED THE CHAPTER NUMBER WRONG. SHIORI INTERLUDE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHAPTER 5, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHAPTER 6. I'LL FIX THAT ERROR LATER, LOL)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Seijuuro clenched her fist. Now, normally, this wouldn't bother her at all; she would just ignore the nonsense and go back to reading her book or observing her surroundings, but she wouldn't just let that comment slide.

* * *

The day started out with Seijuuro having breakfast with Shiori and Masaomi. Shiori felt well enough to stand and eat with them, and Seijuuro was simply content with Shiori's presence. Seijuuro then excused herself to head over to the washroom. After doing her business, she headed back to the dining hall, only to overhear parts of a conversation between her new set of parents.

"—it's time to tell her —"

"— don't want her to know —"

"— can't stop her —"

"—I'm dying, okay —"

From there, Seijuuro had taken a shaky breath and prayed to whatever gods were looking down on her that Shiori should be spared from whatever sickness she had. Seijuuro wasn't a medical expert. As Elise, she had contemplated going to medical school, but it's not like she had that chance before the accident ripped her away from her old life. So, she really didn't know what was going on with Shiori. What she did know was that soon, Shiori would be taken away from her.

She knew it was inevitable. She was pretty sure that no matter what changes she may have caused, the original timeline would still find a way to happen; Shiori would still, eventually, die, even if Seijuuro somehow, magically, found a way to stall the disease.

It was a rather saddening thought, but she tried to be rational about it. She was pretty sure Shiori would die sometime in the real Akashi's fifth grade, or at least, around that time. That meant she still had time: time to bond with Shiori and get to know her more, and time to try and do some self-study on what the disease was. She probably wouldn't get as far as Shiori's doctors; they had decades of experience and study. She would only be starting, and she honestly doubted, _she'd_ be able to come up with anything useful. So instead of trying to do something that probably wouldn't gain any noteworthy results, she'd do what she could do: be the best daughter to Shiori.

With a smile plastered on her face, she went back inside the dining hall and continued the conversation she had with Shiori about Yukimaru. She had about four or so years left with her— she wouldn't waste it.

After eating, she was brought to school by their driver, Kou, who handed the her the lunch Flora had prepared for her. With a "thank you" and a nod, she entered the school gates and entered her classroom. Her usual routine was to read a book that was on her reading list, as suggested by her tutors. This week's book was _The Prince_ by Niccolo Machiavelli, and it was honestly an interesting book to read. She had gotten through a chapter before she sighed and closed the book, staring off into space. As lovely as the book was, she just couldn't bring herself to concentrate when Shiori's death approached as each minute passed. Maybe she was overreacting, but the fact that Shiori only had a limited time left was a little pressuring to think about.

She sighed again and glanced at the clock. It was still a little early, and Wakana-sensei wouldn't be arriving any time soon — probably. The door to the classroom slid open, and Seijuuro's eyes glanced towards it. It was disappointing to note that it was only Kyoko. Her eyes flickered back to her book and the page she last was on, but nothing was sinking in.

"What are you even reading?" Kyoko huffed. Seijuuro noted that the blonde girl was standing in front of her, arms crossed as she tried to comprehend what Seijuuro was reading.

"Nothing _you'd_ understand, Matsumoto." Seijuuro said. "What do you want?"

"What makes you think I'd want something from _you_?" Kyoko pouted angrily.

"Then if there's nothing, why are you even here? As far as I know, your seat isn't anywhere near mine." Seijuuro pointed out.

Kyoko glared at her for that and the two remained in silence before Kyoko spoke again, "Heard your Kaa-san wasn't feeling well."

Seijuuro blinked in surprise. How did Kyoko, of all people, find out what was wrong with Shiori? "Your point?"

Kyoko shrugged. "It's probably your fault. You're so annoying. You're probably the reason she's like that, ya know."

Seijuuro pursed her lips. Normally, she'd reply with a veiled insult, but what could she say, really? What if her birth was the reason why Shiori ended up that way? She didn't think it was impossible: what if mothers gained sicknesses after childbirth? If Shiori's sickness developed _because_ she had Seijuuro, then she was the one who doomed Shiori. If so, then perhaps that's why canon!Masaomi treated canon!Akashi harshly. Canon!Masaomi probably irrationally blamed canon!Akashi for Shiori's death.

How did she never come up with this kind of conclusion before? This was certainly interesting… and made her feel guilty.

"—so, yeah, that's why. Hey, are you even listening to me?" Kyoko huffed.

"No, should I be?" Seijuuro stifled a yawn.

Kyoko's glare intensified. "You know, you probably don't care about your Kaa-san. That's why you're like this."

" _Excuse me_?" Seijuuro hissed. That was crossing the line. She _cared_ about Shiori. She may have treated Shiori as a mere 2D character at one point, but even with the short amount of time she's had so far with the woman, she knew she cared.

"You're not saying 'no', so I'm right, right?" Kyoko smirked childishly. Yes, that was it. _Kyoko was just a child,_ Seijuuro thought. _It'd be pretty pathetic if I lost my patience just because of some stupid kid years younger than me._

"You don't care if she dies."

Seijuuro clenched her fist. Now, normally, this wouldn't bother her at all; she would just ignore the nonsense and go back to reading her book or observing her surroundings, but she wouldn't just let that comment slide.

Seijuuro took a few calming breaths. _Think rationally. Kyoko probably has some permissive parents, or maybe they haven't taught her manners as well as they think. That, or she has some serious issues. She's probably letting it out on you, so calm the heck down._

"You're still not saying 'no'—" Kyoko began to speak, but she let out an 'eep' as Seijuuro turned a frosty look at her.

* * *

Wakana was having a normal day. She woke up, had her coffee, checked that she had her students' test papers with her, and headed off to work. She entered the faculty room and was greeted by her co-workers. She smiled back at them as she sat in her cubicle, grabbing the folder containing her lesson plans. As she double-checked that she had all her materials with her, her friend and fellow teacher, Sachi, came up to her.

"Hey, Sachi," Wakana said as she tidied up the folder in her hands.

"Hey," Sachi said back as she stretched her arms upwards. "Want to grab some milkshakes later, after work?"

"Sure, no need to ask!" Wakana giggled as she stood up and glanced at the clock. "I should probably head to my class now, though, and make sure everything's tidy."

"Neat freak," Sachi teased her. "But, sure, go on. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you!" Wakana replied as she exited the faculty room and walked to her classroom. She loved that the faculty room was on the same floor as her classroom. It meant that it was a short walk — lovely for those too lazy to stay fit such as herself.

She giggled to herself at the thought as she slid open the door of her classroom. The first thing she noticed was that the classroom was surprisingly quiet. Her kids were usually rowdy — a group of boys would be talking about the cartoon they liked, while some girls would be singing songs from the musical that premiered last week. As her gaze drifted to somewhere near the middle of the classroom, she found out why and sighed. It was the usual Akashi-Matsumoto fight. Well, admittedly, it was more one-sided since Matsumoto-chan always found reasons to try to antagonize Akashi-chan. Akashi-chan never really fought back, save for that one time when Akashi-chan flipped over Matsumoto-chan, but she was worried about the former all the same.

She hurriedly walked over to the two of them and opened her mouth to break up the fight.

"You're still not saying 'no'—" Matsumoto-chan began to say, but she let out an 'eep' as Akashi-chan turned a frosty look at her. Wakana herself stopped in her tracks as she stared at Akashi-chan's face. Although it probably only lasted for a mere second, she could have sworn that she had seen Akashi-chan's eyes flash gold.

"I'd suggest you go back to your seat, Matsumoto. Wakana-sensei's just behind you." Akashi-chan said as she opened the book she was reading and fixed her now red eyes on it.

Matsumoto-chan 'eep'-ed once more as she turned around and saw Wakana looking at her disappointedly. "Are you really going to keep this up, Matsumoto-chan? If I see you trying to fight with Akashi-chan again, I really will call your parents, okay?"

Matsumoto-chan nodded and hurriedly went to her seat. She would have tried to make Matsumoto-chan apologize to Akashi-chan, but she learned long ago that that wasn't happening. She really didn't understand why they disliked each other that much, but unless one of them opened up about it, which was unlikely, then she would never know.

* * *

"…and that's what happened this morning," Seijuuro shrugged as she finished the last of the orange juice in the carton. After school, she met up with Shougo and Shuuzo at the basketball court they frequented. They played three games before heading over to a nearby convenience store to buy some drinks. Shuuzo had noticed that she seemed a little off and asked about it, prompting her to rant about her annoying classmate.

"I don't care if she's a girl. Need me to fight her?" Shougo pouted as he tried to look intimidating.

Seijuuro gave him a small smile. "No need, Haizaki-kun. I can handle her myself, anyways. Thanks for the offer, though."

As Shougo continued to promise her that he would mess with Kyoko should he see her, her eyes drifted to Shuuzo, who was quiet throughout the story. "Shuu?"

He shook his head and patted her own. It was their signal for "it's nothing, don't worry about it". She knew something was up, but she figured he'd tell her eventually.

"It's getting late," Shougo noted as he looked outside. The sky was now sporting a burnt orange and light pink hue.

"It is," Seijuuro agreed. "Want to have dinner at my place?"

Both boys blinked at her in surprise.

"You're actually inviting us over?" Shougo asked. "Won't Aka-Dad get mad or something?"

"He has a point. This _is_ unannounced." Shuuzo added.

"He won't mind." Seijuuro waved their concerns off. She did secretly kind of crave their company today. Plus, it would be better if her parents were aware of who she was hanging out with.

Shougo and Shuuzo looked at each other before shrugging and nodding.

"Lead the way, then."

* * *

Their jaws dropped the moment they stopped in front of the big mansion. They knew their friend was pretty well-off, but not _this_ well-off.

"Is your dad the leader of the yakuza or something?" Shougo asked, earning him an undignified snort from his female friend.

"Weirdo," she muttered with a shake of her head. "Come on, let's go in."

She led them through the gates and the garden that was between the mansion and the gates, before they entered the building itself. Paintings and artifacts decorated each hallway, they noticed, along with a grand staircase that was right in front of them. They took a few minutes to marvel at the sight before Seijuuro grabbed their wrists and dragged them to the dining hall. Inside, the boys saw their friend's parents, waiting patiently in their seats.

Shuuzo looked nervous. "You sure they're okay with this?"

"While you were staring at the stairs, I left to inform them and they seemed alright with it. I'm not surprised you didn't notice," Seijuuro whispered back with amusement as she instructed the two boys to sit beside her.

"I-It's nice to meet you both. I'm H-Haizaki Shougo," Shougo, surprisingly, was the first to introduce himself.

"I'm Nijimura Shuuzo. It's a pleasure to meet you," Shuuzo bowed to them respectfully.

"And to you both, as well. I'm Akashi Shiori, Sei-chan's mother, and this is my husband, Akashi Masaomi. It's wonderful to finally meet Sei-chan's friends," Shiori smiled at them, which calmed down some of their nerves as they stopped squirming in their seats.

"Let's eat?" Seijuuro suggested as she served herself some potatoes and carrots.

They ate in silence, and Shuuzo and Shougo felt a little uncomfortable with it. Well, if they were only with Shiori and Seijuuro, one of them would probably have started a conversation, but Akashi Masaomi was terrifying. He wasn't even looking at them, but they felt themselves stiffen up every time he ate. He gave off such intimidating vibes.

"How did you two meet my daughter?" Akashi Masaomi asked them with a blank face.

Shuuzo recalled the day he met his friend and forced himself not to laugh once he remembered how much she sucked at basketball before. "I met her on the basketball court. She was learning the basics of the sport, and I offered my assistance."

Shougo spoke next. "I met her while she was at her field trip, I think. My family went there on the same day and we… bumped into each other."

"Hm," Masaomi let out as his eyes flickered to the boys, assessing them. The boys gulped. It was rather terrifying to be on the receiving end of Masaomi's _look_.

Seijuuro, in the meantime, observed the events that were happening in front of her. Masaomi was a person she couldn't quite read yet, so she honestly didn't know if he was going to accept them or not. She hoped he did — they were the _best_ friends she's ever had so far.

Masaomi nodded to himself before placing his utensils down and excusing himself from the dining hall.

Shougo blinked. "Um, what just happened?"

"He likes you," Shiori chuckled, smiling at him. She was pleased when all three children let out relieved sighs. She figured this friendship would be good for her daughter.

Once Shiori finished eating and excused herself, as well, Seijuuro turned to her somewhat pleased friends. "Who wants to ride Yukimura?"

* * *

Furihata Kouki was sitting beside his father once more. There was a meeting today with Akashi Corps. to discuss how they would share their partnership with that American company they once visited before. He was surprised his father even brought him along — he knew how disappointed his father was with him during that last meeting. He understood where his father was coming from, though — he wasn't the ideal heir. He couldn't speak the way Akashi-san did, nor could he fathom the terms they were throwing around before.

He was disappointed in himself, too.

The door to the conference room opened and in came the father-daughter pair that his father was rather envious of. Kouki understood.

When Akashi Masaomi and Akashi Seijuuro walked in those doors, they exuded confidence and power. He could never be like Akashi Seijuuro, even if his father wanted him to be.

He glanced as the redheaded girl sat across him, back straightened and attentive. She wasn't looking at him — she was looking at his father. He grimaced inside. She probably knew that he wasn't worth listening to, that nothing he could say would ever make a difference to the meeting.

It hurt, but it hurt even more that he understood why she was doing that.

The meeting began smoothly, and though he wanted to provide some input during the meeting, he found that he couldn't ever let the words come out right. He also noticed that Akashi Seijuuro was even glancing at him as he tried to speak. It was only when nothing came out of his mouth that she provided her own input.

It irritated him slightly, that she belittled him. Was she thinking that he needed saving in this meeting? The way she spoke, the whole content of her words… He could never match that right now. It was frustrating that even his father treated her as something close to an equal in this meeting, forgetting the fact that she was younger than his own son.

He was jealous.

He excused himself to go to the washroom, and he knew he could feel his father's disappointing gaze at the back of his head. He just needed to get out of there.

He flinched when he heart soft footsteps following him and he turned around to see the Akashi girl gazing at him blankly. "Are you following me?"

He was surprised his voice lost its usual stutter, but he was just so… angry? frustrated? … right now that he just somehow let those words slip smoothly.

"No. We're merely headed to the same place," the Akashi girl told him.

He blinked as she started to walk forward and past him. He then started walking again, matching her pace but remaining behind her.

"I know, you know," she said, making him look up. She still wasn't looking at him, but he knew he was the one she was speaking to.

"…P-Pardon?" Ah, there was the familiar stutter.

"It's okay to feel that way. It's unfair of your father to expect more than you can currently give." Somehow, those words struck a cord in him.

He felt a little annoyed, though. Did she think he could never be what his father expected him to become?

"I'm not saying you can't do it, though," she continued, making him startled that she somehow knew what he was thinking. "I _know_ you can. Your father _knows_ you can. You just have to believe you can, otherwise, nothing's gonna happen, Furihata-san."

Her words made him pause as she continued on her way to the washroom.

How, he wondered, could a stranger like her give him the words he wanted to hear the most? Was she right, though? Could he really do it?

She didn't know him enough, so how could she believe in him with such conviction?

Furihata Kouki found himself thinking about the enigma known as Akashi Seijuuro once more.

* * *

 **Me: And that's it for this chapter! Furihata's part does seem kind of… not in place, but I wanted to add it because these are all events that would shape the future ones. So, yeah, hehe. If you liked it, if you didn't like it, if you wanna see more of something, please do say so in a review!**

 **I'll see you guys soon!**

* * *

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS**

 **(I hope got your usernames right, lol)**

 **To Zafrinel: Thanks! Hehe, yes, the aim was really to have an awkward relationship between Masaomi and Sei, since Masaomi did grow up with a heartless father**

 **To TiffBaby101: Thank you! Hehe.**

 **To five lanterns: Thanks! I honestly just thought of putting Furihata in because of all the AkaFuri fics I keep seeing, lol, so I thought it would be pretty cool if they actually did have some sort of relationship. And, yes, Nijimura, Akashi, and Haizaki really will be quite the trio, hehe. And yeah, I also agree with your opinion. I mean, it's possible to have slightly below average grades, but it's TEIKO. Thanks, again, and I hope you continue to enjoy!**

 **JulesLiason: Thank you! Hehe, your comment is v appreciated.**

 **Maika: Thanks! With all the Naruto SI fics I've read so far, I just thought, you know, why not have one in KnB? Don't worry, Teiko Arc will start soon enough, hehe, maybe after like, chapter 10.**

 **Pineapple-Lady-Sama: Waaaa, omg, I'm so honored, thank you!**

 **akashi: T^T Thank you! Your comment made me blush, huhu.**

 **Annie: Thank you!**

 **Snickering Fox: Yk, this reply is probably like, a year late, but oh, well, hehe. So basically Guy A, my crush, likes Girl B, my female friend, but Guy C, my guy best friend, likes Girl B. Whelp. Thankfully, this square doesn't exist anymore, lol. Guy C and I have both moved on from our crushes.**

 **TamashinoSuzume: Yeah, I know right! Haizaki has a lot of potential, especially considering his previous relationship with my Teiko babies. Teiko Arc will start in a few chapters, hehe.**

 **TheTinyMouse: Thank you!**

 **MINTERRIA: Ikr, same! That's one of the reasons why I wrote this fic, since I barely saw any KnB SI Oc fics.**

 **Lady Syndra: Or is he? ;) Thank you, though, hehe.**

 **Guest: Wait what HAHA how come ur review with Lady Syndra looks the same, that's so weird, lol. But, thank you hehe.**

 **ReaLies: Waaa, thank you! Sorry for the really long disappearance :p (Yo, it's okay HAHA no need to apologize). T^T I feel the same way, huhu. When I reread the interlude, I wondered why I was doing this to myself and to you guys, lol. Of course! Hehe. I'll be adding more Shiori-Seijuuro bonding moments in the next chapters.**

 **Girl-luvs-manga: Yeah, that's one reason why I kind of got interested in making an SI-Akashi fic. I was thinking that Shiori really had an impact on Akashi, and I kinda wanted to experiment on it.**

 **You know: That's sadly true :(((**

 **Shion Lee: Yeah, true, hehe. I was toying with the idea of having a female name for Seijuuro, but I guess I kinda wanted Seijuuro to stick. I might consider using your suggestion in future chapters, tho, somehow hehe. And yes, that was the aim of the interlude huhu :((**


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